University Oaks is a

subdivision Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...

in southeast

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

with approximately 240 homes located adjacent to the

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

. It is bounded by Wheeler Avenue to the north, South MacGregor Way to the south, Calhoun Road to the east, and

Cullen Boulevard Cullen may refer to: Places Canada *Cullen, Saskatchewan, a former hamlet in Benson No. 35 Rural Municipality Ireland * Cullen, County Cork, a village near Boherbue, County Cork * Cullen, County Tipperary, a small village in County Tipperary Sc ...

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. The original deed included a

racial covenant A covenant, in its most general 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 seal. Be ...

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 United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

sued the subdivision to force it to remove the racial covenant, which was deemed illegal by the

1968 Fair Housing Act The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a landmark law in the United States signed into law by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles II through VII comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which applie ...

. 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
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' at ''

The Telegraph-Herald The ''Telegraph Herald'', locally referred to as the ''TH'', is a daily newspaper published in Dubuque, Iowa, for the population of Dubuque and surrounding areas in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in ...

''. 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 (government funded), 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 ci ...

(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 Jack Yates Senior High School is a public high school located at 3650 Alabama Street, very near Texas Southern University, in the historic Third Ward in Houston, Texas. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is part of the Hous ...

. 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, 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''. ...

''. 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, includ ...

(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, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his a ...

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 fr ...

in the

Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a List of neighborhoods in Houston, neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. It is immediately south of the Houston Museum District, Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 6 ...

Transportation

The

METRORail Purple Line The Purple Line is a METRORail light rail/streetcar route operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, United States, serving Southeast Houston. The line opened on May 23, 2015. Route The Purple Line begins at its northern terminus at Smith Street ...

UH South/University Oaks railway station serves the neighborhood.

Notable people

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 appearan ...

(1922–2015), basketball player and coach * Elizabeth Brown-Guillory, academic, playwright and performing artist *

Case Keenum Casey Austin Keenum (born February 17, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he became the NCAA's all-time l ...

(born 1988), American football player

References

External links

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