History of West U and Southside Place

Kate's Presentation:  The Story Behind the Story: How a neighborhood fire forged a bond between West University and Southside Place 

Kate McCormick has been a resident of Southside Place for 26 years. She is the author of two books on the city: a pictorial history entitled Images of America: Southside Place co-authored with Kris Holt and published by Arcadia Publishing; and a children's picture book, Happy: The True Story of a Stray Dog Who Became a Hero published by TCU Press and named a finalist for the 2019 Joan Lowery Nixon Award. 

Most recently, Kate researched and wrote a successful Texas Historical Marker nomination for Southside's Fire Truck Park which is anticipated to be dedicated in 2023.

Kate is a Board Certified labor and employment lawyer in private practice and has been a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Southside Place for over 20 years. She has been on the board of Preservation Houston since 2011, and is its immediate past president.

Kate is the curator of StoryWalk Houston, a page-by-page presentation of a children's picture book along an outdoor path that promotes early literacy,  physical activity and family time together outside. Pop-up StoryWalks have been installed in various parks in West U and in the Southside Place Community Garden as a community service. 

Invited by Kathy Kokas