Howe Area Chamber of Commerce

Carrie Waller (1931 – ) was involved with nearly every organization that had anything to do with Howe. She became the first-ever female city council member in 1972. She was also instrumental in reorganizing the Chamber of Commerce in 1972 in time for the city’s Centennial Celebration. That year, she created the Howe city flag…

Ray Bledsoe (1932 – ) was a mover and shaker from the time he moved to Howe in 1964. He was voted commissioner of the Howe Youth Baseball League and immediately went to work to build a youth ballfield for the kids. He was successful in constructing A.M. Ferguson Park without using any city funds.…

Norma Wallace (1929-1996) was actively involved in the creation of the marching band which later became known as The Pride of Howe. With her tremendous ability to gather people together for a willing and worthy cause, she impacted Howe in a way that forever changed the way people look at Howe. Wallace was also instrumental…

L.B. Kirby (1924- ) is the most decorated living veteran in the state of Texas, with seven Bronze Stars, two Bronze Arrowheads and a Purple Heart, awarded for his service in the army during World War II. Perhaps the most surprising thing about Kirby’s heroic achievements is that for decades, he never told anyone about…

Tony Brinkley (1926-1944) was Howe’s first World War II casualty. After the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor, Brinkley left school early and joined the Navy at the age of 16 and was an aviation machinist’s mate, third class. Brinkley helped repair the fuselages of fighter and bomber planes when they returned from battling…

Arthur Boyle (1924-2014) came to Howe in 1958 and during his long career as an educator, he served twice as principal of Howe High School. While the girls’ varsity basketball coach, he accumulated a district record of 85-9 in his first stint as coach. After becoming the first principal in S&S High School history, he…

Charles R. Thompson (1910 -1996) dedicated his life to the Howe Public School System. He served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. Thompson graduated from Howe High School in 1928 and Baylor University, Waco, in 1933. He returned to Howe as a coach and teacher in 1933 and served as Superintendent of Howe Independent School…

Mame Roberts lived her entire life in or near the community of Howe. Largely self-taught, she worked as a substitute teacher in the lower grades at the Howe public schools in the early 1900’s before turning to her life’s work -promoting civic improvements and beautification. As the writer of a weekly column in the Howe…

Alexander McGowan Ferguson was a professor at the University of Texas and wrote a book called Elementary Principals of Agriculture which became the accepted textbook in public schools in 30 states for 12 years. He moved his Company, named Ferguson Seed Farms to Howe in 1931 and shipped between 70 and 100 cars of seed…

Walter Pratt Thompson was voted mayor of Howe for at least nineteen consecutive terms spanning from 1913-1949. Every two years, Thompson would say he wouldn’t run for mayor again, but the citizens re-elected him anyway. It was reported by the Sherman Daily Democrat that Thompson was the longest tenured mayor of any incorporated city in…