Author Biographical Info

William B. Bates was born August 16, 1889 in Nat, Texas. He and his siblings attended local schools at Nat and in a place called Red Flat. In 1910, He attended Sam Houston Normal Institute where he earned teaching certificates. After teaching for a few years, he went on to study law at the University of Texas, graduating first in the class in 1915.
Bates served in the United States Army from 1917 to 1919 during World War I. When he returned, he opened a law practice with his brother, Jesse, and married Mary Estill Dorsey. In 1923, he was hired by Fulbright and Crooker, a law firm in Houston. The title "colonel" was bestowed upon W.B. Bates by his friend, former Governor of Texas Dan Moody.
William B. Bates had an enormous impact on the growth and development of Houston, almost from the moment he arrived. He became a member of the Houston Independent School District Board of education in 1925. The University of Houston was established under his chairmanship. William B. Bates also served the Houston Chamber of Commerce for many years. He was on the advisory board of the, then famous, Bank of the Southwest.
In 1939, William B. Bates became chairman of the Board of Trustees of the M.D. Anderson Foundation upon the death of its benefactor, Mr. Anderson. Col. Bates' foresight and leadership contributed to the creation and growth of the Texas Medical Center. W.B. Bates died on April 17, 1974.

Publication Date

4-19-1973

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Keywords

Texas Medical Center, Macon, N. Don, MDA-TV (Television station : Houston, Tex.), Anderson, Monroe D. (Monroe Dunaway), 1873-1939, M.D. Anderson Foundation (Houston, Tex.), University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Fulbright, Crooker, and Freeman (Houston, Tex.), Baylor College of Medicine

Abstract

Col. William B. Bates, Part 2 of 3. Interviewed by Don Macon. Col. Bates discusses some of his experiences as district attorney in three East Texas counties shortly after World War I. These include bootleggers and members of the Klu Klux Klan. In later 1922, he traveled to Houston seeking a connection to further his career in law. He joined the firm of Fulbright & Crooker on January 1, 1923. Mr. John Freeman became a partner in the firm, as did Col. Bates. Col. Bates worked closely with members of the Anderson-Clayton firm for many years. He tells of his association with Mr. M. D. Anderson and the eventual establishment of the M. D. Anderson Foundation. Col. Bates relates the story of the planning and implementation of the state cancer research hospital, its temporary quarters in the Baker estate, the concept of a Texas Medical Center and acquisition of its land, the move of Baylor College of Medicine from Dallas to Houston, the permanent structure for the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Research Institute, the University of Texas Dental Branch, and other institutions in the medical center. See more at ic-084.pdf.

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