Bill Hobby: A Life in Journalism and Public Service

A comprehensive biography of a legendary lieutenant governor.

During his five terms as lieutenant governor of Texas, Bill Hobby became one of the most powerful political figures in the state’s history. He was first elected lieutenant governor of Texas in 1972 and served until 1990. Thanks to his brilliance as a political tactician and his personal integrity, Hobby was able to set the Senate’s agenda and garner respect from legislators on both sides of the aisle.

In Bill Hobby: A Life in Journalism and Public Service, Don Carleton and Erin Purdy document Hobby’s significant contributions to Texas as a journalist, politician, and philanthropist. Born into a prominent Texas family with a rich legacy of public service, he was the son of Houston newspaper publisher and former Texas governor William P. Hobby Sr., and Oveta Culp Hobby, who led the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and served in Eisenhower’s cabinet. After more than a decade as a journalist for the Houston Post, Hobby forged his own political path while also playing a prominent role in his family’s newspaper and television business.

Hobby was never shy about using his power to serve the people of Texas. Even after he left office, he continued to make a difference as a strong advocate for public education, including a term as chancellor of the University of Houston.

Don Carleton is the founding executive director of the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. His previous works include The Governor and the Colonel: A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby and Dolph Briscoe: My Life in Texas Ranching and Politics.

Erin L. Purdy is deputy executive director of the Briscoe Center.