Sugar Land Independent School District No. 17
Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A public school was established as early as 1912 for families moving to the company town of Sugar Land. In 1918, the State Legislature created Sugar Land Independent School District No. 17, with the requirement that at least two of the seven board members be women. Mary Anna Collins Woods served as the first school superintendent. Sugar company engineer M. R. Wood designed the school and served as school board president. In 1959 the district was merged with schools in Missouri City and Stafford to form the Fort Bend Independent School District.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A public school opened as early as 1912 for families drawn to the company town of Sugar Land, and in 1918 the State Legislature chartered Sugar Land Independent School District No. 17—notably requiring that at least two of its seven board members be women. Mary Anna Collins Woods became the first superintendent, and company engineer M.R. Wood designed the school and led the board. In 1959 the district merged with Missouri City and Stafford to form the Fort Bend ISD.
Why it matters
Its founding charter, guaranteeing women a voice on the school board, offers an early glimpse of women's civic authority in Progressive-era Texas and the paternalistic world of the company town.
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Related people
- · Mary Anna Collins Woods
- · M.R. Wood
Themes & tags
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