University Oaks is a subdivision in southeast

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 i ...

with approximately 240 homes located adjacent to the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...

. It is bounded by Wheeler Avenue to the north, South MacGregor Way to the south, Calhoun Road to the east, and Cullen Boulevard to the west.University Oaks
" ''Harris County''. Retrieved on April 5, 2009.

History

University Oaks was first platted in 1939 and the land that the subdivision occupies was formerly owned by

Ben Taub Ben Taub (1889–1982) was a philanthropist and medical benefactor in Houston, Texas. Taub ran numerous businesses and served on the boards of directors for several Texas organizations. He helped in the expansion and development of Houston entitie ...

. The original deed included a

racial covenant A covenant, in its most general sense and historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a se ...

that restricted homeowners from selling or leasing their houses to any groups other than " the Caucasian race." It was last renewed in 1980. In 1984 the homeowners association had over 150 members. During that year the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

sued the subdivision to force it to remove the racial covenant, which was deemed illegal by the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The defendants were John Baust, the civil club president, and Anita Rodeheaver, the Harris County Clerk. In the lawsuit papers, the subdivision argued that deleting the racial covenant would jeopardize the other provisions from the original deed.Justice Dept. sues to bar racial covenants in deeds
" ''

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'' at ''

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''. December 10, 1984. Retrieved on October 18, 2011. In 2006, the University of Houston announced increased development plans—including one to blend low-rise residence halls with the University Oaks subdivision. Doug Erwing, who was at the time the president of the University Oaks Civic Club, announced support for plans to increase retail offerings and added that he would prefer redevelopment that fit with the neighborhood such as lower-rise dormitories as opposed to high rise dormitories.

Education

Houses in the neighborhood are zoned to

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 ...

(HISD) schools. The community is within Trustee District IV, represented by Paula M. Harris as of 2009. Some residents are zoned to Lockhart Elementary School while others are zoned to Peck Elementary School. All residents are zoned to Cullen Middle School and Yates High School. By Spring 2011 HISD planned to consolidate Lockhart and Turner, with a new campus in the Lockhart site.Board Approves School Closings and Consolidations
." ''

''. November 14, 2008. By the same time frame HISD also plans to consolidate Peck and MacArthur elementary schools, with the replacement campus on the Peck site.Mellon, Ericka.
HISD trustees voting today on school mergers / 4 elementaries would become 2 if proposals OK'd
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

''. Thursday September 11, 2008. B2. Retrieved on April 5, 2009. Residents were previously zoned to Ryan Middle School. In 2013 it closed, with students rezoned to Cullen.

Government and infrastructure

The

Harris Health System The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includin ...

(formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated the

Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Health Center in southeast Houston for the ZIP code 77004. The designated public hospital is

Ben Taub General Hospital Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students f ...

in the

Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrat ...

Transportation

The METRORail Purple Line UH South/University Oaks railway station serves the neighborhood.

Notable residents

Guy Lewis Guy Vernon Lewis II (March 19, 1922 – November 26, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Houston from 1956 to 1986. Lewis led his Houston Cougars to five appearanc ...

, former University of Houston men's basketball coach * Elizabeth Brown-Guillory, distinguished Professor of Theatre and Associate Provost/Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas Southern University * Case Keenum, NFL Quarterback

References

External links

University Oaks
{{coord missing, Texas Academic enclaves Third Ward, Houston Neighborhoods in Houston University of Houston campus