Marker Details

Marker Text: Houston architect Ernest L. Shult designed this Mid-century Modern house for his own residence in 1959. The home, sited on a triangular lot in the River Oaks neighborhood, is representative of contemporary style popular in the post-war years. The house has had alterations over the years including a two-story addition on the north side. Prominent features of the house include its asymmetrical façade, white stucco and unornamented exterior wall, multiple roof sections, portions of the front façade extending forward and varying in height, and a large expanse of windowless walls. John Connally, Jr. (1917-1993) and his wife, Idanell "Nellie" Connally (1919-2006) moved here in January 1969 after he served three terms as Governor of Texas. During his residence at this location, Connally was U. S. Secretary of the Treasury and campaigned for the U. S. Presidency in 180. The couple sold the house in 1984.

John Connally, Jr. is know for h is extensive career in politics. He was Secretary to Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson in 1939, served fro several years as Johnson's aide, was Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy in 1961, and was elected Governor of Texas in 1962. When President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, Connally, a passenger in the car, was shot and seriously wounded. Among his accomplishments as Governor were improvement in the areas of education, government, reform, historic preservation and the state's tourism industry. He joined Houston law firm Vinson, Elkins, Searls and Connally in February 1969 and became President Richard Nixon's Secretary of the Treasury in 1971. Governor and Mrs. Connally are buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2012

Marker is the property of the State of Texas