Fleischer, Mary Beth

Mary Beth Fleischer worked as an assistant librarian at the Barker Texas History Center Library (later the Center for American History) for 32 years, mainly dealing with the technical and bibliographic aspects of the library. She started at the Barker Texas History Center in 1961 and received a master’s degree from the University of Texas Graduate School of Library Science in 1963. Additionally, she conducted extensive research into the life of Antoinette Lea Bledsoe Powers Robert, the sister of Sam Houston’s wife, Margaret Moffette Lea Houston. Antoinette Lea (1823-1891) was very influential in the Texas Baptist church, especially after marrying her third husband, preacher William H. Roberts. They traveled the state establishing Sunday schools and training African-American preachers. Despite studying Antoinette Lea for twenty years, Fleischer never published any of this research. However, she has published many book reviews and in 1969 she edited and published historian Dudley Goodall Wooten’s article “Perversions of History” in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly .