401:. A police officer was accidentally killed by another police officer. Many Texas Southern students were taken into custody. The events created a rift between the administration and many of Houston's African Americans. In 1968, Welch's last term was marred by controversy, being that his second mayoral bid was financed by questionable sources. It was rumored that his campaign was associated with organized crime with a handful of his cabinet coming under suspicion and indicted as a result of this link. Welch's reputation came under fire because of his friendships with well known crime leaders.
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He was a member of his high school debate team and was the president of his senior class. Devoted to literature and poetry, he learned the passages that he quoted throughout his life. Memorizing these classic lines may also have contributed to his quick wit and brash one-liners. During his political
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Houston grew immensely when Welch was mayor. In 1963, Houston's population reached over one million people, yet was then still considered a "small" city in the eyes of the national media. Under Welch, several events put
Houston prominently on the U.S. and world maps, including the opening of the
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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: defusing the situation while making his point clear: he would stand up for what he believed was right. He studied in
408:, who had served since 1982, in the Houston Mayoral Elections. Some of his comments (namely his candid quote caught by a microphone on live television, suggesting that one way to curb the spread of HIV would be to "shoot the queers") upset the city's gay community. The
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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 incumbent Mayor
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residence. He was 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.
491:"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"
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from 1970 until 1973. In 1973, Louie Welch decided not to run again. In 1974, he became
President of the Houston Chamber of Commerce (now known as the
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supported
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294:. His father, Gilford Edgar Welch, was an automobile mechanic. His mother, the former Nora Shackleford, taught a Bible study at the
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members, Welch was elected to the
Houston City Council and served four two-year terms from 1950 to 1952 and then 1956 to 1962.
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opened to provide water for
Houston. Welch also closed forty inefficient sewage treatment plants, began cleaning up the
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After losing three times in bids for mayor, he was elected in 1963. He served for five consecutive two-year terms (
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in history. He was married on
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270:(December 9, 1918 – January 27, 2008) was an American politician who served from 1964 to 1974 as the
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to become the fifth largest city in the United States in 1975, and in the fall of 1980, the fourth.
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Welch was mayor in 1967 when two days of siege by the
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lists his children at birth as Tina, Gary, Shannon, Lisa, Louie, and Guy.
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and a member of Phi Delta Psi social club. In 1940, he received his
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661:. The United States Conference of Mayors. November 23, 2016
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310:, now Abilene Christian University, where he was a varsity
555:"The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Welch"
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Presidents of the United States
Conference of Mayors
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President of the United States
Conference of Mayors
538:Abilene Christian University Alumni Directory 2009
717:, Houston Oral History Project, October 20, 2007.
432:). His company was Louie Welch & Associates.
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680:Abilene Christian University Alumni Directory
382:areas with which some claim he had trouble.
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59:January 2, 1964 – January 2, 1974
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540:. Abilene, Texas: ACU Press, 2009. The
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217: 1940; died 1991)
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632:Reinhold, Robert (November 7, 1985).
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1653:20th-century American businesspeople
579:Archives, L. A. Times (2008-01-29).
346:was the only other mayor to do so).
1608:Abilene Christian University alumni
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789:United States Conference of Mayors
682:. Abilene, Texas: ACU Press, 2009.
444:on January 27, 2008, in his north
184:Brookside Memorial Park in Houston
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581:"Five-term mayor of Houston"
489:Smith, Roger (Winter 2003).
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604:Swartz, Mimi (1985-10-01).
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715:Louie Welch Oral History
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272:mayor of Houston, Texas
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501:on September 26, 2006
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472:is named after him.
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204:Iola Faye Cure Welch
332:Lions International
70:Lewis Wesley Cutrer
16:American politician
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1628:Texas Republicans
1623:Mayors of Houston
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316:Bachelor of Arts
296:Church of Christ
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163:January 27, 2008
150:December 9, 1918
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135:Personal details
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663:. Retrieved
659:"Leadership"
653:
641:. Retrieved
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503:. Retrieved
499:the original
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326:City Council
320:Homer Hailey
306:, Texas, at
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288:Floyd County
281:
267:
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165:(2008-01-27)
120:Succeeded by
97:
77:Succeeded by
54:
1598:2008 deaths
1593:1918 births
1542:K. Whitmire
1532:F. Hofheinz
1512:R. Hofheinz
1105:Plusquellic
1065:R. M. Daley
875:R. J. Daley
505:February 6,
442:lung cancer
393:Controversy
368:Lake Conroe
312:cheerleader
268:Louie Welch
256:Businessman
222:Helen Welch
113:Henry Maier
108:Preceded by
65:Preceded by
23:Louie Welch
1587:Categories
1412:Scherffius
890:Celebrezze
820:La Guardia
743:1964–1974
615:2024-02-01
590:2024-02-01
476:References
362:at nearby
292:West Texas
278:Early life
252:Occupation
236:Alma mater
193:Republican
146:1918-12-09
125:Roy Martin
1462:Hutcheson
1457:Pastoriza
1342:Whitmarsh
1090:M. Morial
1075:Corradini
1010:E. Morial
975:McNichols
970:Alexander
930:Maltester
910:Blaisdell
542:Directory
358:in 1969.
352:Astrodome
199:Spouse(s)
102:1972–1973
98:In office
55:In office
1572:Whitmire
1517:Holcombe
1507:Holcombe
1492:Holcombe
1487:Fonville
1482:Holcombe
1477:Monteith
1472:Holcombe
1452:Campbell
1432:Woolford
1427:Brashear
1347:Hutchins
1175:Benjamin
1050:Abramson
1030:Whitmire
990:Boosalis
915:Cavanagh
880:Dilworth
855:Robinson
845:Kennelly
840:Lawrence
810:Walmsley
665:July 24,
227:Children
1497:Pickett
1467:Amerman
1442:Jackson
1377:Scanlan
1367:McGowan
1332:McGowan
1322:Stevens
1307:Buckner
1292:Baldwin
1282:Andrews
1277:Bigelow
1251:Houston
1205:Ginther
1200:Schieve
1185:Fischer
1180:Barnett
1165:Cornett
1155:Johnson
1130:Nickles
1110:O'Neill
1045:Althaus
1025:Holland
1020:Berkley
1005:Padilla
985:Hatcher
925:Schrunk
900:Selland
870:Poulson
698:KTRK-TV
564:Jun 18,
387:Detroit
304:Abilene
284:Lockney
219:
211:
207:
170:Houston
1567:Turner
1562:Parker
1547:Lanier
1537:McConn
1522:Cutrer
1502:Massey
1417:Browne
1392:Wilson
1382:Wilson
1372:Morris
1362:Taylor
1357:Anders
1317:Fuller
1302:Bailey
1272:Lively
1262:Holman
1247:Mayors
1195:Suarez
1190:Whaley
1145:Nutter
1120:Palmer
1100:Garner
1095:Menino
1070:Helmke
1000:Fulton
980:Carver
965:Gibson
955:Alioto
950:Martin
905:Tucker
865:Wagner
805:Curley
800:Murphy
452:Legacy
176:, U.S.
155:, U.S.
1557:White
1552:Brown
1527:Welch
1407:Smith
1402:Baker
1397:Burke
1352:House
1327:Ennis
1312:Moore
1297:Swain
1287:Moore
1267:Moore
1150:Smith
1135:Kautz
1115:Guido
1085:Coles
1040:Flynn
1035:Isaac
1015:Riley
995:Young
945:Welch
940:Maier
885:Burns
860:Hynes
850:Burke
835:Green
830:Welsh
825:Kelly
436:Death
338:Mayor
213:(
209:
174:Texas
88:30th
45:54th
1447:Rice
1437:Holt
1422:Rice
1387:Lord
1337:King
1125:Diaz
1080:Webb
1060:Rice
1055:Ashe
935:Tate
920:Barr
815:Hoan
667:2020
645:2008
566:2020
507:2007
370:and
360:NASA
160:Died
140:Born
1249:of
895:Lee
695:,"
523:,"
290:in
286:in
1589::
636:.
624:^
608:.
583:.
557:.
493:.
468:,
322:.
274:.
245:BA
215:m.
172:,
1239:e
1232:t
1225:v
780:e
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669:.
647:.
618:.
593:.
568:.
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509:.
247:)
243:(
230:6
148:)
144:(
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