Howard, William Eager, 1877-1948

Physician and book and document collector of Dallas, Texas.

Physician. Born in San Antonio, Texas. Lived in Dallas, Texas, until his death in 1940.

William Eager Howard was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1877, the son of Dr. Henry Peyton Howard (1829-1913) and Lucy Evelyn "Lee" Weir (1842-1929). Following his father into the medical profession, William graduated from the University of Texas Department of Medicine in Galveston (now the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston) in 1897 and began his practice in San Antonio. A noted eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist and eye surgeon, Dr. Howard settled in Dallas, where he practiced until his retirement in 1942.

Also like his father, a Mexican War and Civil War veteran, Dr. Howard served in the military, participating in the Spanish-American War in Cuba. He also traveled throughout Latin America and once represented the United States at a medical meeting in Mexico City at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Dr. Howard’s family ties to Texas inspired his interest in the state’s history, and he developed an extensive collection of books, documents, and autographs related to Texas and Mexico. Toward the end of his life, he donated portions of his collection to several institutions in Texas. His donation of over 2,000 Texana items to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library became the core of its collection; the Library was established in 1945 in part to house his materials.

Dr. Howard married Augusta T. Muller (1878-1946) in Galveston, Texas, on 1900 May 6. The couple had two children: Catherine Lee, who married Loughton Thayer Smith, and Harold P. Dr. Howard died in Dallas on 1948 February 21.

References

Campbell, Camilla Boykin. "William Eager Howard - A Short Biography." San Antonio: Carleton Printing, 1961.

William E. Howard biographical file, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.

Utterback, Martha D. "William Eager Howard." Handbook of Texas Online . http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fho94 .

Utterback, Martha D. "Henry Peyton Howard." Handbook of Texas Online . http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhoay .

Physician and Texana collector William Eager Howard (1877-1948) was one of seven children born to Henry Peyton Howard and Lee Weir. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Howard graduated from the University of Texas Department of Medicine in Galveston in 1897. Howard began his medical practice in San Antonio, eventually moving to Dallas where he established himself as an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist. He also fought in the Spanish-American War and was appointed surgeon general of the Spanish-American Veterans of the United States. As an avid collector of Texana, Howard acquired many important items, such as papers of Stephen F. Austin, Antonio López de Santa Anna, and Sam Houston. Howard donated much of his collection to repositories throughout Texas, including the Texas Memorial Museum and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library. In addition to serving as president of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and other historical organizations, Howard was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution; the Texas State Historical Commission; the Dallas Historical Society; the Commission for the San Jacinto Battleground; and the Knights of San Jacinto.

Source:

Utterback, Martha D. Howard, William Eager. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed January 21, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fho94 .

William Eager Howard, physician and Texana collector, was born in San Antonio in 1877 to Henry Peyton Howard and Lee Weir. He graduated from the University of Texas Department of Medicine in Galveston (now the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston) in 1897. Over the years Howard collected Texana books, documents, early currency, manuscripts, art and newspapers that he donated to museums and libraries.

Howard was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Knights of San Jacinto, the Commission for the San Jacinto Battleground and the commission to locate the battleship Texas at San Jacinto and was the president of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and was a member of many other organizations. Howard served in the Spanish American War and became surgeon general of the Spanish-American Veterans of the United States. Howard retired from practice in 1942. He and his wife, Augusta had a son and a daughter. Howard died in Dallas on February 21, 1848.

George (Jorge) Fisher was born in April 1795 in Hungary and was named Djordje Ribar by his Serbian parents. In 1814, he sailed to America, arriving in Philadelphia, and assumed the English version of his name, George Fisher. In 1825, Fisher traveled to Mexico where he became a Mexican citizen and contracted to settle five hundred families. In 1829, he was appointed collector of customs at Galveston and in 1830 he was recognized as administrator of the port of Galveston. Fisher set up a customhouse at Anahuac on Galveston Bay in November 1831. However, dissatisfaction with Fisher's regulations resulted in the Anahuac Disturbances and threats by the Texas colonists caused Fisher to return to Matamoros. His publication Mercurio del Puerto de Matamoros was unwarranted in Mexico and resulted in his dismissal from Mexico. In 1837 Fisher went into business as a commission agent in Houston and in 1840 was a member of the Houston city council. He went to California in 1851 and served in civic posts in San Francisco from 1860 to 1870.

George Fisher was married four times; first, to Elizabeth Davis in 1815, which resulted in three sons; second, to Mrs. M. C. Page in Galveston in 1840; third, to Mrs. Mary Caroline Fleming in 1848; and fourth, to Mrs. Caroline H. Fisher. George Fisher died in San Francisco on June 11, 1873.

Physician and book and document collector of Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Howard served in the military during the Spanish-American war.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Dr. William E. Howard practiced medicine in San Antonio and Dallas.

He was an avid collector of books and manuscripts related to Texas and Mexico, and donated portions of his collection to several institutions in Texas.

Physician and Texana collector William Eager Howard (1877-1948) was one of seven children born to Henry Peyton Howard and Lee Weir.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Howard graduated from the University of Texas Department of Medicine in Galveston in 1897. Howard began his medical practice in San Antonio, eventually moving to Dallas where he established himself as an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist. He also fought in the Spanish-American War and was appointed surgeon general of the Spanish-American Veterans of the United States. As an avid collector of Texana, Howard acquired many important items, such as papers of Stephen F. Austin, Antonio López de Santa Anna, and Sam Houston. Howard donated much of his collection to repositories throughout Texas, including the Texas Memorial Museum and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library. In addition to serving as president of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and other historical organizations, Howard was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution; the Texas State Historical Commission; the Dallas Historical Society; the Commission for the San Jacinto Battleground; and the Knights of San Jacinto.