Louie Welch

Louie Welch (December 9 1918 [" [http://www.houstonlibrary.org/welch/ Mayor Louie Welch 1918 - 2008] ," "Houston Public Library" - January 27, 2008" [http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=5916726 Former Houston Mayor Welch dies] ," "KTRK-TV"] ) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Houston, Texas from 1964 to 1973. [cite news
last = Smith
first = Roger
title = Ex-Mayors shaped today's Houston: Louie Welch, Fred Hofheinz, Kathy Whitmire and Bob Lanier led Houston through four decades. All but Whitmire remain plugged into city politics.
work = City Savvy Online Edition
date = Winter 2003
url = http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/savvypages/archives/Winter03/winter03_exmayors.htm
accessdate = 2007-02-06]

Early life

Louie Welch was born in Lockney, Texas. His father, Gilford Edgar, was an automobile mechanic. His mother, Nora Shackleford, taught a Bible study at the family church.

Welch's high school interests included the debate team and serving as president of his senior class. He loved literature and poetry and it was here he learned the passages he was so fond of quoting throughout his life. Memorizing these classic lines may also have contributed to his quick wit and brash one-liners. During his political career, Welch was known for his quick quips he used with the media. Sometimes this 'saltiness' got the diminutive man in trouble; more often than not it served its purpose: diffusing the situation while making his point clear: he would stand up for what he believed was right.

City Council

At the coaxing of fellow Lion's Club members, Welch ran for Councilman and won. He served on the Houston City Council for eight years [four terms] from 1950 to 1952 and then 1956 until 1962.

Mayor

After losing three times in a bid for mayor, in 1963 Welch was elected Mayor of Houston and served the city for five consecutive terms.

Houston grew immensely when Welch was mayor. In 1963, Houston was still considered a 'small' city, having reached one million people. Under Welch, several events put Houston on the map, including the opening of the Astrodome and the Houston Intercontinental Airport. NASA sent a man to the moon. Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston opened to provide water for Houston. Welch also closed forty inefficient sewage treatment plants, began cleaning up the Houston Ship Channel, focused on bayou beautification; and began development of the downtown Civic Center, among other accomplishments.

By the time Welch left office, Houston had become the fourth largest city in the United States.

Controversy

Welch was mayor in 1967 when two days of battles erupted between police and students at predominantly black Texas Southern University. A police officer was killed, and about 500 Texas Southern students were arrested. The events created a rift between the administration and many of the city's blacks. Years later, Welch acknowledged that accusations of racism still bothered him.

In early 1985, Welch was a leader in the opposition to the extension of job protection rights to homosexuals employed by the city government. Welch came back that year to run against Whitmire in the Houston Mayoral Elections. When asked about the subject on how to stop the spread of AIDS, his suggestion was to "shoot the queers." [cite news
last = Reinhold
first = Robert
title = The '85 Elections; AIDS Issue Seen As Minor Factor In Houston Vote
work = New York Times
date = Nov 7, 1985
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9905E4D91538F934A35752C1A963948260
accessdate = 2008-09-11]

Organizations

Welch served as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1972-73 and as Vice President of the National League of Cities from 1970 until 1973. In 1973 Louie Welch decided not to run again and in 1974 became President of the Houston Chamber of Commerce.

Death

Welch died on January 27 2008 in his north Harris County residence at age 89 from lung cancer. He is survived by his wife, Helen, five children, and seventeen grandchildren, four stepchildren and four step-grandchildren. His first wife, Iola Faye Cure, died in 1991.

References