TABLE OF CONTENTS

Collection Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I. Personal Files, 1969-2002

Series II. Harris County Democrats, 1956-2002

Series III. Texas Democrats, 1971-2000

Series IV. Democratic National Committee, 1972-2000

Series V. New Democratic Coalition, 1973-84

Series VI. Billie Carr & Associates, 1976-1995

Series VII. Memorabilia, 1950s-2002

Guide to the Billie Carr political papers,
1956-2003

Biographical Note

Billie McClain Carr (later known as “The Godmother” for her work on behalf of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party) was born in Houston, Texas, June 1, 1928. She grew up near downtown Houston, graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1946, and married three months later; she had three sons, and over the years took courses at South Texas College and the University of Houston.

Carr’s activities as a political organizer began in 1952, when political issues in Texas stirred her to run for Democratic chairman of her precinct and she unexpectedly won. Soon afterward she became a protégé of Frankie Randolph, a leader and benefactress of liberal causes who helped found the Harris County Democrats (a liberal precinct organization) in 1953. She taught Carr the art of grass roots political organizing, and over time Carr assumed a leadership role in Harris County Democrats and began to establish a statewide reputation as an organizer, convention strategist, and spokesperson for the statewide liberal coalition.

In 1954 Carr was elected a member from her precinct to the Harris County Democratic Executive Committee, serving in that capacity until 1972; she was also Harris County’s member on the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee from 1964 to 1966. She was a leader in efforts to achieve proportional liberal participation in presidential conventions and became nationally known in the Democratic Party for taking a rump delegation to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, an action which helped initiate a party-wide set of reforms abolishing the use of the unit rule by which conservative Democrats had been able to minimize the election of liberals as delegates to presidential conventions.

As a liberal activist and strategist, Carr also fought for civil rights. She protested the Vietnam War and fought for women’s rights in the 1970s, and for gay rights in the 1980s. She helped organize the 1966 campaign leading to the election of Barbara Jordan, the first black woman elected to the Texas Senate, and was later described by U. S. Rep. Mickey Leland as “the grand old lady of liberal politics” for her efforts in helping a number of minority candidates (including himself) win political office. She later established a business, Billie Carr & Associates, specializing in campaign and other political services.

In 1972 Carr was elected to serve as a member of the Democratic National Committee (a position she held until 2000); there she was elected “whip” for the progressive-reform caucus and in June 1981 was elected chair of the newly-formed Progressive-Liberal Caucus. At various periods she also served on the Credentials Committee, the Platform Advisory Committee on Older Citizens, and the Executive Committee.

Billie Carr died in Houston on September 9, 2002.

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Scope and Contents

The Billie Carr Papers total 12 cubic feet of material, arranged in 22 boxes and dated 1956-2002. Materials include correspondence, office files, photographs, and memorabilia pertaining to her liberal activist work in the Harris County Democrats, Texas Democrats, Democratic National Committee, New Democratic Coalition, and Billie Carr & Associates. Correspondents such as local and national level political figures include Bob Bullock, President Jimmie Carter, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Ed Cogburn, Chris Dixie, Calvin Guest, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Mickey Leland, and Robert Strauss. Subjects of correspondence range from specific political issues to brief social notes.

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Arrangement

The Billie Carr Papers are arranged in 7 series:

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions; this material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Billie Carr papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

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Related Material

Walter Gardner Hall Papers, 1923-1979, MS 280, Woodson Research Center

Frankie Carter Randolph Papers, ca. 1900-1975, MS 372, Woodson Research Center

Texas Politics Oral History Program, 1973-1994, MS 259, Woodson Research Center

Albert Thomas papers, 1937-1965, MS262, Woodson Research Center

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Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)

Subjects (Organizations)

Subjects

Subects (Places)

Document Types:

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Billie Carr papers, 1956-2003, MS 373, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

Acquisition Information

The original collection of Billie Carr’s papers was received from Billie Carr in March 1983. Addenda were received November 17, 1988 and November 15, 2004 from Prof. Chandler Davidson of Rice University; November 22, 2002 from Stacey McLain; and May 5, 2003 from Jennifer Carr.

Processing Information

Original folder titles and office file organization (as indicated by color-coded folders) have been retained. Loose material (the bulk of the collection) has been organized to conform as closely as possible to the method of arrangement evidently intended.

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Detailed Description of the Collection