Wilhelmina Ruth Delco | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speakerpro tempore of theTexas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 17, 1991 – 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Michael D. McKinney |
| Succeeded by | D. R. Uher |
| Member of theTexas House of Representatives from the50th district | |
| In office January 11, 1983 – January 10, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | René Orlando Oliveira |
| Succeeded by | Dawnna Dukes |
| Member of theTexas House of Representatives from the 37-1, 37-D district | |
| In office January 14, 1975 – January 11, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Larry Bales |
| Succeeded by | Irma Lerma Rangel (Redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wilhelmina Ruth Fitzgerald (1929-07-16)July 16, 1929 (age 95) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Fisk University (BA) |
Wilhelmina Ruth Delco (néeFitzgerald; born July 16, 1929) is an American politician who served in theTexas House of Representatives.[1] She was inducted into theTexas Women's Hall of Fame in 1986.[2] She was the firstAfrican American official electedat-large inTravis County and the first woman to hold the second highest position in the Texas House of Representatives.
On July 16, 1929, Delco was born as Wilhelmina Ruth Fitzgerald inChicago, Illinois. Delco's parents were Juanita and William P. Fitzgerald. Delco attendedWendell Phillips Academy High School.
In 1950, Delco earned aBachelor of Arts degree insociology fromFisk University inNashville, Tennessee.
In 1968, Delco was elected to the board of trustees for theAustin Independent School District, becoming the first African American elected to public office in Austin.[3][1] In 1971, she led the effort to nominateGus Garcia to fill a vacancy on the board.[4][5] She was the secretary of the board from 1972 to 1974. She was one of the founding board of trustees ofAustin Community College and served as secretary of the board from 1973 to 1974.[6] She was also a member of the AustinLeague of Women Voters.[7]
Prior to 1974, Travis County elected its state representatives county wide from a multi-member district. Federal courts ordered Travis County's four state representatives to be elected from single member districts starting in 1974. Delco was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from a new northeast Travis County single member district in 1974[8] and would go on to serve ten terms in the legislature. From 1979 to 1991, she was chair of the Higher Education Committee for the House. From 1991 to 1993, she was speakerpro tempore for the House of Representatives. She retired from the legislature in 1995.[3][9]
She was chair of the board of trustees forHuston-Tillotson College and anadjunct professor at theUniversity of Texas at Austin with the Community College Leadership Program.[3] Delco was the chair of theNational Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity of theUnited States Department of Education.[2] She was also involved in efforts to encouragedivestiture fromapartheid-eraSouth Africa.[10] Delco was a commissioner of theTexas Ethics Commission.[11]
In 1993, she was awarded the James Bryant Conant Award by theEducation Commission of the States for her contributions to American education.[12]
The Wilhelmina F. Delco Building on the campus ofPrairie View A&M University is named after her.[13]
The Delco Activity Center in Austin, which opened in 2002, is named after her and her husband. It provides facilities for a variety of athletic competitions.[14]
Wilhelmina Delco Elementary School in Austin and inPflugerville ISD is named after her.[15]
The City of Austin's Permitting and Development Center, which opened in July 2021, is located on Wilhelmina Delco Drive.[16]
Delco's husband is Exalton A. Delco Jr., whom she met in the cafeteria while attending Fisk University.[17] Exalton A. Delco Jr. became the first African American to receive aDoctor of Philosophy degree inzoology from theUniversity of Texas at Austin in 1962. He had a long career as a professor at Huston–Tillotson University and Austin Community College.[18] Delco and her husband areCatholic.[19] She has four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[20]