150 Years: Celebrating the Backbone of the HBA
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hile Peter Gray and the lawyers who came after him who have been committed to serving the Houston community can be considered the heart of the HBA, the staff who have helped make these lawyers’ visions a reality are the backbone. Any celebration of the HBA’s history necessarily requires a nod to the members of the HBA staff who have made this all possible. We therefore include the following article about the HBA’s Executive Directors, and we additionally acknowledge all the people who have worked tirelessly to support the directors and members of the HBA in carrying out the HBA’s mission. The Board of The Houston Lawyer would also like to specifically acknowledge the contributions of Tara Shockley, the Associate Executive Director of the HBA and Managing Editor of The Houston Lawyer. Tara’s contributions to this publication over the last 40 years of the HBA’s history are immeasurable. The Houston legal community has been enriched by the Executive Directors, Tara, and all members of the HBA staff who have been dedicated to serving members and the community, and we celebrate their contributions. Anna Archer, Editor in Chief
Executive Directors Provide Crucial Leadership throughout HBA’s History
By Tara Shockley
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hile the lawyer leaders of the Houston Bar Association have had an extraordinary impact on the legal community and community at large, the leaders of the Houston Bar Association office have also played an indelible role in the association’s history. The HBA hired its first executive director in 1939. The board of directors employed Mrs. Ruth Laws, as she was known in all written records, for a trial period of three months at a salary “not to exceed $100 a month.”1 The HBA had decided it needed a permanent home and an executive secretary, her official title, as the organization grew in numbers and stature. The HBA’s first office was in a room off the 8th District Courtroom on the 4th floor of the Civil Courthouse. The remodel cost the bar $150. Mrs. Laws successfully passed the trial period, and went on to become an institution of the HBA, serving as executive secretary until 1962. She handled all aspects of bar management, including membership, billing, and communicating events to the public and the press.
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After 23 years and during an illness, Mrs. Laws announced she would retire on October 15, 1962, but passed away a few days earlier. The HBA then hired Ann Krohn as executive secretary. During her tenure, the HBA decided it was time to move out of the courthouse. The association moved into an office in The Houston Club, where it rented 460 square feet for $185 per month. In 1967, the HBA moved again, this time to the Rusk Building, which was renamed the Houston Bar Center Building. The third executive director of the HBA was Gaye Powe Platt, who took over in 1970. During her tenure, the HBA addressed the issue of indigent criminal defense and long-range plans for the Harris County Courthouse complex, including breaking ground on the Family Law Center. The fourth executive director was Burton Berger, who joined the HBA in 1976, after previously working for the Nebraska State Bar Association. He expanded the HBA staff, including naming Kay Sim as associate executive director to handle coordinating social and educa-
