Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer (May 6, 1880 – June 18, 1954) was the first

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

. Oberholtzer obtained his undergraduate education at Westfield College in

Westfield, Illinois Westfield is a village in Westfield Township, Clark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 536 at the 2020 census, down from 601 at the 2010 census. Reflecting the city's economic decline, much of the downtown area consists of boarded- ...

and Indiana State Normal School (now known as Indiana State University). In 1915, he received his Master of Arts degree from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. Prior to founding the University of Houston, Oberholtzer was a teacher and administrator for schools in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

before eventually becoming a

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

and then

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

Early life

Edison Oberholtzer was born May 6, 1880 in

Patricksburg, Indiana Patricksburg (also Lancaster) is an unincorporated community in eastern Marion Township, Owen County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. It lies along State Road 246, west of the city of Spencer, the county seat of Owen County. Its elevation is ...

to Augustus and Mary Anne Oberholtzer née Collins. He was the eleventh of their 12 children. He graduated from Clay City High School in

Clay City, Indiana Clay City is a town in Harrison Township, Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 861 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Clay City was originally called Markland, and under t ...

in 1895. Edison married Myrtle May Barr on March 26, 1901, and eventually had three children, Kenneth, Esther and Edison, Jr. In March 1925, his niece Madge Oberholtzer—daughter of his older brother George—was kidnapped, tortured and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the

Indiana Ku Klux Klan The Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that organized in 1915 to promote ideas of racial superiority and affect public affairs on issues of Prohibition, education, political corruption, and mor ...

. Her deathbed statement was sufficient to convict Stephenson of second degree murder in one of the most sensational cases in American history.

Career

Oberholtzer began his career in education as a teacher and administrator for small schools in

from 1898 through 1903. From 1906 through 1911, Oberholtzer was a supervising principal in

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, and

of schools in

Clinton, Indiana Clinton is a city in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 4,893 at the 2010 census. History The city was established in 1829 and is named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York from 1817 to 18 ...

. In 1913, he became a superintendent in

, and served in that post until 1923 when he left to become superintendent of the

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...

. Oberholtzer served as superintendent for H.I.S.D. from April 7, 1924 until 1945.

University of Houston

In 1927, Edison Oberholtzer founded the precursor to the

, Houston Junior College. He served as president of the university until 1950, when he retired. During his tenure, Oberholtzer enlisted the help of philanthropist

Hugh Roy Cullen Hugh Roy Cullen (July 3, 1881 – July 4, 1957) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Cullen was heavily involved in the petroleum industry having struck oil near Texas in 1928. He was a large supporter of multiple educational institu ...

as a large donor and supporter to the university.

Death

Oberholtzer died in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

on June 18, 1954, and was buried in Forest Park Abbey Mausoleum in Houston, Texas. His widow died on December 24, 1959, in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...

References

External links

Photographs of Oberholtzer from the University of Houston Digital Library collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obelholtzer, Edison E. Presidents of the University of Houston Houston Independent School District superintendents School superintendents in Indiana University of Chicago alumni Indiana State University alumni University and college founders 1954 deaths 1880 births American school principals School superintendents in Oklahoma 20th-century American academics