DALLAS – The Dallas Municipal Archives has acquired the papers of Annette Strauss, former mayor of the City of Dallas and legendary civic leader.
“Dallas is strong because our people are strong. Annette Strauss is a particularly exceptional leader who shaped our city’s rich history,” Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said. “This collection of papers provides insight into the remarkable contributions she made to the Dallas community during her tenure as the Mayor of Dallas, and I commend the dedicated staff at the Dallas Municipal Archives for their diligent efforts to preserve and share her legacy.”
The impressive collection includes 26 cubic feet of correspondence, scrapbooks, photography, and campaign ephemera documenting Strauss’ career. The collection will be part of the Municipal Archives and will provide a rich look at the political and personal activities of Annette Strauss, a two-term mayor of Dallas between 1987-1991.
“We are proud to be one of several civic institutions that carry the name and honor the legacy of Annette Strauss. The correspondence, photos, and records from her time as Mayor of Dallas are a window into the political history of the second half of the 20th century in America,” Annette Strauss Institute Director Mark Strama said. “But other artifacts from both before and after her tenure as mayor highlight the example she set as a citizen, bringing people together to solve community problems. The historical significance of Annette Strauss’s life in public service deserves to be recognized and preserved in the Dallas Municipal Archives.”
The major acquisition was deeded to the City by Strauss’ daughters, Janie McGarr and Nancy Halbreich. The papers had previously been in the care of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas at Austin.
“This collection is a time capsule of what it was like to be a strong leader in a time when there were few female mayors of major American cities,” City Archivist John H. Slate said. “Her strength and spirit mark a pivotal time for Dallas and for the rise of women in American politics.”
