Alexander Penn Wooldridge
Alexander Penn Wooldridge | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 1930 (aged 83) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, public official |
| Known for | Mayor of Austin (1909–1919), President of Austin's City National Bank, "The Father of Public Education in Austin" |
Alexander Penn Wooldridge (April 13, 1847 – September 8, 1930) was a prominent American lawyer and public official who held the position of mayor of Austin from 1909 until 1919.
Biography
Wooldridge was born in New Orleans to parents Absalom and Julia Webber Davis. After completing his studies at the University of Virginia, he took on a role as a physical science professor at Bethel College. In 1872, he moved to Austin, Texas where he established his legal practice.
During the early 1890s, Wooldridge spearheaded efforts to build the Austin Dam across the Colorado River; however, the dam succumbed to a flood in 1900. By 1896, he had become president of Austin's City National Bank and was appointed the inaugural president of the Board of Trustees for the Austin Independent School District, earning him the title "The Father of Public Education in Austin." His mayoral administration was marked by overseeing Austin's measures during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak, which included shutting down schools, churches, and the state university for a month. Wooldridge concluded his service as mayor in 1919.
He passed away in Austin in 1930 and was laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery.
Personal life
Wooldridge married Ellen Waggener on September 18, 1874; together they had seven children. Following her death, he wed Nellie Wylie Holden on July 9, 1917. His legacy is commemorated through Wooldridge Park and Wooldridge Elementary School bearing his name.
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