Individual successes, especially when numerous, generally imply that the environment is conducive to achievement or at least doesn’t hinder it. (In all likelihood, someone, at some point, fought to make the environment more favorable to success—see the Texas Revolution.)

Texas is a very good example. The Lone Star State has been booming in all positive directions over the past decade, due in large part, but not only, to the state’s policies, which favor entrepreneurship, risk-taking, low taxes, fewer regulations, and an overall higher standard of living—where you want to start a family and a business. The other major reason is, of course, its people, who are gritty, enterprising, self-reliant, resilient, and of a free spirit, though kind.

Let’s review a few key numbers highlighting Texas’ successes and milestones in 2025.

If Texas were (again) its own country, it would be the 8th economy in the world (9th if California were also its own country) with a GDP of $2.9 trillion in 2025, ahead of Italy, Russia, and… New York. Texas is right behind France, which has a GDP of $3.4 trillion. As we’ve seen before, not only is it just a question of time when Texas will overtake France, but even the French admit it! Texas’ GDP per capita is already $88,000, compared to France’s $46,000. In 2025, Texas’ growth was 4.09% (compared to about 2% in the United States and 0.7% in France).

In a Dallas Morning News article published yesterday, Pia Orrenius, a vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, is quoted as spelling out Texas’ success related to GDP growth in no unclear terms: “it’s almost kind of embarrassing for the rest of the U.S.”

[Pia Orrenius] then addressed gross domestic product, the value of everything produced in the economy. The gap there has been even more striking in recent decades. In measuring growth by GDP, “it’s almost kind of embarrassing for the rest of the U.S.” because the difference in Texas’ favor appears to be widening, she said.

Orrenius also highlighted the role that policy plays:

She highlighted Texas’ “open and flexible markets.” The state leans on “relatively low taxes and less regulation” to attract companies and capital, and she said it comes in below the national average and high tax states such as California and New York on per capita state and local tax burden.

A booming economy is home to more opportunities at all levels. Here are some numbers:

• Texas led the nation in job creation, with 132,500 jobs created in the past year and an unemployment rate of 4.3%.

• Texas was again ranked as the best state for business in 2025—that’s 21 years in a row—with 314 HQ relocations to Texas between 2015 and 2024.

• There are 54 Fortune 500 companies in Texas and more than 3.5 million small businesses.

• According to a Partnership for New York City report on Texas’ competitive edge, “financial services recruitment in Texas surpassed New York’s with 9% more job postings in 2025” and “Texas’s financial services sector grew faster over the decade, with [gross regional product] rising 121% compared to New York’s 72%.7.” (Of the 314 HQ relocations in the past 10 years, 23 were from New York.)

• Texas isn’t just booming in financial services. Texas cattle herds represent 14% of the U.S. cattle population. The state has 230,662 farms and ranches over 125.4 million acres.

• In 2024, Texas was the largest exporter of goods in the United States, with $455.0 billion in goods exported worldwide.

• Texas added 390,000 residents in 2025, more than any other state.

• Texas was the second state with the most marriages in 2025, right behind California, with a little more than 175,000 weddings. Texas also had the second-highest number of births, with 278,000 babies born.

This is but a snippet of Texas’ successes in 2025. Of course, despite being sometimes advertised as the Texas Miracle—and although I do agree that God blessed Texas—these achievements are the result of hard-working Texans and sound economic policies.

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We’ve compared Texas’ policies with California’s and France’s so far. The Partnership for New York City report on Texas’ competitive edge draws a comparison focused on financial services in Texas vs. New York, and what Texas did to attract more of these… out of New York. The following chart is telling.

Speaking of financial services, their expansion in Dallas earned the city the nickname “Y’all Street”—which could well dethrone Wall Street in the future.

Finally, Texas now has three stock exchanges: the Texas Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange Texas, and the NASDAQ Texas. The latter was officially launched on March 5, 2026, in front of the Alamo.

The sky is the limit in Texas.

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Seven years ago today, I became an American citizen in San Antonio, Texas.

It’s hard to believe it has been 7 years already. Yet it was many more years before that I had that dream of immigrating to America and becoming an American citizen (the latter has always been part of the dream). Why, you ask? The principles on which the United States was founded are principles I believe, adhere to, and cherish.

Many of these principles, European countries once shared but have since turned away from, becoming ballooning welfare states that restrict their citizens’ rights while taxing them to the point of exhaustion to pay for unsustainable “social models.”

Don’t go there, America. Keep doing you, Texas.

I work in public policy/politics, and people often ask me how I got into this field, given that I’m from France. The more important question is why.

When I was still in France, I set my mind to work in public policy once I would immigrate to the United States—specifically at a think tank (we didn’t have anything like the Heritage Foundation there, and I was fascinated by what brainpower and ideas could accomplish). So why? To help preserve what made America the greatest country in the world. And where to do it better than in Texas? (This is a rhetorical question 😊 I’ve written about this before).

The principles on which the United States of America and the state of Texas are founded—respect for life, property, liberty, equality before the law, and a government limited to protecting these rights—shape their policies and culture. With this culture come specific values: self-responsibility, hard work, achievement, patriotism.

The result? Opportunities abound here. People are not only allowed to dream, but they are also encouraged to do so and act upon these because they can reach their dreams with dedication in an environment that doesn’t slow them down by placing roadblocks in front of them and/or taxing most of what they earn (been there, done that in France).

When I’m not happy with where I am in life, I remind myself of how much I have been able to accomplish in the 15 years I have been in the United States and how blessed I am to live here—and I want to keep it that way.

Let’s take a very quick look at the Texas Model compared to the so-called French social model in terms of economic achievement.

Texas is the state that creates the most jobs in the United States. In 2025, Texas’ unemployment rate was 4.3%—a percentage that my native country, France, hasn’t seen in decades (see 3rd figure). In fact, the lowest I’ve seen in my lifetime was 7ish %.

Texas’ growth in 2024 was 3.95% (compared to 1.2% for France). Texas’ economy will soon surpass France’s economy. Even the French admit it.

According to a recent French article, “France is still ahead of Texas but maybe not for long.” Texas’ GDP per capita is already at $88,000, compared to France’s $46,000.

The article explains that Texas “has been standing out for several years for its swift economic growth, so much so that it became the new El Dorado for many companies. … The dynamism of Texas ... is undeniable and is confirmed year after year.”

Although the article says that Texas hasn’t caught up with California or France quite yet, it describes the Lone Star State as “one of the bastions and the best example of conservative policies in the United States.”

Beyond energy and fewer regulations, it’s Texas’ incredibly favorable taxation (no individual or business state income tax, only the federal income tax) that allowed it to become the most attractive state in the United States for businesses, including Californian ones. Its pro-business environment was reinforced in 2025 when the [state] Constitution was amended to prohibit the imposition of a death tax or a tax on capital gains from both real estate and movable property.

Different policies, different results. Texas Model vs France’s “modèle social” (que personne ne nous envie – IYKYK).

Texas has accomplished much more in 2025, which will be the subject of a separate article. Everyone wants to come to Texas, and native Texans don’t want to leave Texas. Maybe because it is the quintessential land for achievement?

Some French people had told me, “I bet you’ll be back in two years.” Ahah! No.

Seven years an American, thirteen years a Texan, and fifteen years living in the United States. Texas is home. It’s time to take the final step in this journey to become American.

God, Texas, and America 🇺🇲

(To be continued.)

February 12 marks a birthday that we don’t usually celebrate as one of the events that led to the Texas Revolution. Yet, February 12, 1787, recorded the birth of an important piece of the puzzle of Texas history—the birth of the man who founded the town and settled the inhabitants who would fire the first shot of the Texas Revolution, a battle now known as the “Lexington of Texas.” On that day, Green DeWitt, the second most important empresario in Texas history, was born.

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Historical Context: The U.S., Kentucky, Missouri, Mexico, and Texas in 1787

In 1787, the United States was 11 years old. That year, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to address the problems with the Articles of Confederation, ratified 6 years before, and to draft the new constitution—the United States Constitution—which was signed that year and ratified in 1788. Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas were not yet part of the Union at that time.

As part of Virginia, Kentucky was already part of the United States, but was only admitted as the 15th state in 1792. Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory, which had been transferred from France to Spain in 1762, reverted to French control in 1800, and became American in 1803 following the Louisiana Purchase. Missouri became the 24th state of the Union in 1821.

Texas was under Spanish rule until Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. In 1824, the state of Coahuila and the former Spanish province of Texas were combined to form the Mexican state of Coahuila and Texas (Coahuila y Tejas).

Texas and the Empresario System

After Mexico gained its independence, its government had difficulty recruiting Mexican families who wanted to settle in Texas. The territory was vast and poorly defended because it was underpopulated. That was already a problem under Spanish rule, and the Mexican government decided to follow in the footsteps of Spain and encourage American immigration with the immigration laws of 1823 and 1824:

“This law [of 1823] invited Catholic immigrants to settle in Mexico; provided for the employment of agents, called empresarios, to introduce families in units of 200; defined the land measurement in terms of labores (177 acres each), leagues or sitios (4,428 acres), and haciendas (five leagues each); and defined the privileges and certain limitations of immigrants and empresarios.”

In 1823, Mexican Emperor Agustín de Iturbide abdicated. In 1824, Mexico adopted a new constitution and a federal system of government. The Colonization Law of 1824 empowered the states to regulate immigration within their borders, subject to certain limits imposed by federal law. Coahuila and Texas largely kept the same provisions as the federal law.

Empresarios were land agents who contracted with the Mexican government to bring families to colonize Texas. They worked with the state land commissioner and surveyors to issue land titles to settlers. In exchange for their success, they were given premium land. However, if they failed to meet the number of families specified in their contract, they could lose everything. The incentives were high for empresarios: They could receive five leagues of land (about 22,140 acres) for each one hundred families they settled (Stephen F. Austin to James W. Breedlove, personal communication, November 12, 1829).

Edward Albert Lukes explained:

“The [1824 Colonization] law authorized an “empresario,” under contract with the government, to introduce at his own expense a specific number of families into a designated area within a given period of time. The empresario was compensated by receiving land from the government, based on the number of families he introduced.” (Emphasis added.)

For the settlers, too, both rewards and risks were high. They were moving to an area with little population and where Indians could attack. But they could acquire premium land very cheaply. The fees (some of which were paid to the empresario) totaled $46 for a quarter league and $61 for a full league of land.

“[L]and in Texas was more attractive than land in the United States because of its cost. The price of land in the United States, at this time, was $1.25 per acre if purchased from the public domain. In Texas the price per acre was much cheaper. The purchase of a quarter league of land amounted to four and two-tenths of a cent per acre. The purchase of a full league of land amounted to one and four-tenths cent per acre.”

In addition, the settlers “were to be free from all duties upon agriculture and industry, and free from all general taxes for a period of ten years.”

The best-known empresario is Stephen F. Austin, who took over his father Moses Austin’s empresario contract to establish the first and largest colony in Mexican Texas—the one that brought the first 300 settlers (the Old 300) to Texas and 966 families by 1834. Another important colony whose capital would become the town to fire the first shot in the Texas Revolution was the DeWitt Colony.

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The Birth of an Empresario - Entrepreneurship, Grit, and Determination

On February 12, 1787, Green DeWitt was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky (then part of Virginia). His family moved to Missouri when he was a young child. He received most of his education in Missouri, and the last two years in Kentucky, from which he returned in 1808. He married Sarah Seely of St. Louis, whose family was considerably wealthier than DeWitt’s, owning land in Missouri.

DeWitt enlisted in the Missouri state militia during the War of 1812, and he ascended to the rank of captain. In 1821, he was elected and served as the Sheriff of Ralls County, Missouri.

Upon learning that Moses Austin had obtained an empresario contract with the Mexican government, DeWitt decided to try his luck. In 1822, he traveled to Mexico to petition the government for such a contract but was unsuccessful. He did not give up, though.

DeWitt was introduced to Stephen Austin thanks to a June 1824 written recommendation from Judge William Trimble. With the support of Austin and the Baron de Bastrop, DeWitt was granted an empresario contract in April 1825 to establish a colony in the region and bring 400 families by 1831. DeWitt was to bring Catholic families and people of good character, and he was to respect the rights of those who had already settled within the limits of his colony.

Despite his previous setback, a determined DeWitt was so confident that he would get the contract that time that, as soon as January 1825, he appointed James Kerr to survey the area he had in mind.

Once he had the contract, his fortune depended on his ability to persuade 400 families to relocate within 6 years to areas where no Americans had yet lived. If he couldn’t, he would lose his contract, and the land would revert to Mexico.

Settling and Building the Colony - Perseverance, Resilience, Ingenuity, Hard Work

Gonzales, the seat of the colony, was established as early as 1825 at the junction of the San Marcos and the Guadalupe rivers. James Kerr, Green DeWitt’s appointed surveyor, named the town after Rafael Gonzales, the provisional governor of the state of Coahuila and Texas.

The first families arrived at the end of the summer of 1825. According to Texas historian Ethel Zivley Rather, the “early settlers [of the DeWitt Colony] at Gonzales were the only Americans west of the Colorado.”

Among the conditions required in empresario contracts, each immigrant had to “swear to uphold the federal and state constitutions … in return, the laws guaranteed the security of his person and property, and permitted him to engage in any honest pursuit.”

However, Green DeWitt would quickly learn that he and the colonists would have to assume responsibility for their own security.

DeWitt likely didn’t visit Gonzales until October 1825. In April 1826, he brought his family—his wife and 5 of their 6 children (the youngest daughter stayed in Missouri for two more years to finish school)—and three other families he had recruited. He was often outside of Texas recruiting American families to settle in his colony.

In July 1826, most settlers in Gonzales were away, several celebrating the Fourth of July on the Colorado River, when the town was attacked by Indians looking to steal horses. One man was killed and scalped. When the other settlers returned from their festivities and discovered that their settlement had been nearly destroyed, they fled the town and did not return until 1827. Several settled in a town known as Old Station, six miles above the tidewater of the Lavaca River. The settlement was the location where most colonists, as well as provisions, arrived. The settlers found it ideal to live and grow crops, which they did.

Kerr, on behalf of DeWitt, petitioned the Mexican government to grant the Lavaca Valley to the DeWitt Colony, thereby allowing the settlers to remain in Old Station. However, Old Station was within 10 leagues of the coast, and DeWitt’s empresario contract prohibited a permanent settlement within those 10 leagues.

In August 1827, the settlers of the DeWitt Colony living in Old Station were informed that they could not remain there and were ordered to return to the DeWitt Colony within one month. Kerr asked for an extension and obtained an additional two months, until December 1. DeWitt submitted another petition and obtained approximately 7 months, through June 1828. In the meantime, he had a fort built in Gonzales to protect the town. By mid December 1827, DeWitt’s settlers had returned to Gonzales.

Those weren’t the only setbacks that DeWitt faced after obtaining his contract. As early as 1825, he discovered that settlers already occupied part of the land designated in his contract as his colony because the Mexican government had granted a Mexican empresario, Martin De Leon, permission to settle families in the state without clearly defined boundaries for the location of settlement. De Leon’s permission was granted before DeWitt’s contract. The occupied land was part of his colony, but his contract specified that he was to respect settlers already in possession of land legally, and that Mexicans had preference.

“[DeWitt] therefore wrote the governor asking permission to give to De Leon all the land south of the lower Atascosito road on both banks of the Guadalupe, reserving for himself a strip two leagues in width west of the Lavaca, but at the same time compensating himself by extending his colony above on the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers sufficiently to settle his four hundred families.” (De Witt’s Colony)

De Leon refused and prevailed. That was but the beginning of a quarrel between the two empresarios and colonies.

About a year later, a ship bringing goods arrived at Old Station. Among the goods was tobacco, a contraband product. De Leon was informed, and likely at his request, all the goods were seized. All goods except tobacco were ordered released before being ordered seized again at DeWitt’s house. As De Leon accompanied the military commandant to seize the goods, rumors started to spread. In a letter to Austin, Kerr reported:

“A man by the name of Smith … stated that Delion, and son were a Coming with the indians to cut of the white people as far as the Colorado. … [A] person (Unknown to me tho said to be respectable) … made Oath that Delion had lured the Indians to come and Kill all the Americans here, and Mrs. Trudeau has told me that she hirself will swear that she several times heard Delion aver that he would have Dewitts head and that he would take it tied to his saddle to the Guadaloupe.” (James Kerr to Stephen F. Austin, personal communication, November 11, 1826.)

Naturally, “the Americans” prepared themselves to welcome the Mexicans and Indians with weapons. When they saw that they had no intention of carrying out the rumored plans, they agreed to lay down their weapons, which were seized along with the goods and several colonists, including DeWitt. An intrigue meant to have DeWitt lose his colony and to be replaced as empresario was developing in the background. Austin was again called to help and seems to have stopped the conspiracy. However, the relationship between the two colonies was clearly strained.

Rather reports that “Some of the guns were returned later, but in such a condition that they were worthless. This was a great hardship, as the colonists had daily use for their guns, either to provide themselves with game, or as a means of defense against attack.”

While those settlers likely undertook this venture in the hope of a better life, daily reality in Texas remained difficult and, at times, brutal.

Mexico had promised protection to the colony in DeWitt’s contract. When they returned to Gonzales in 1827, the Texians were also promised that a garrison of Mexican troops would be stationed there to protect the town. Despite repeated calls from Green DeWitt for such a garrison, years passed, and the garrison didn’t come. In 1829, DeWitt convinced the Mexicans to send troops by claiming that contraband was going through the territory. Alas, the troops did not stay long and were quickly called back to Bejar. In 1831, the Mexican government agreed to lend the town a six-pounder, unmounted cannon. Gonzales took its defense into its own hands. After all, Rather commented, “The difficulty the colonists had in obtaining help from the government was so that they probably never asked for it again.”

DeWitt negotiated peace treaties with Indian tribes—in 1827, with the Karankawas and two years later with the Tonkawas. The only tribe the colony wasn’t able to negotiate with was the Comanche.

In 1830, the Mexican government, concerned that the United States still wanted to acquire Texas, passed a law that strictly limited immigration from the United States to encourage colonization by Mexicans and Europeans instead. Austin’s colony was exempted, and with Austin’s help, so was DeWitt’s, but the new law first decreased and then stopped all immigration—or desire to immigrate from Americans. This greatly displeased American settlers and raised concerns about the Mexican government. A year later, in 1831, when his empresario contract ended, DeWitt had not been able to bring a total of 400 families.

Failure? Think Again

DeWitt tried to have his contract extended, but to no avail. There is little information available about Green DeWitt, and accounts and conclusions about his colony’s success and his own tend to diverge: His colony was the second most successful, but he (personally) failed contractually and financially, some point out.

Sarah Seely DeWitt, who came from a wealthier family than DeWitt, owned land that she sold to help fund the colony. Most of the DeWitt family’s resources were invested in settling families in Texas. Alas, by the end of his contract in 1831, DeWitt had only brought 195 families—an important number but short of 400.

In 1831, Sarah Seely DeWitt petitioned the Mexican government to receive a plot of land for herself and her children, concerned that they would lose everything and become destitute following her husband’s investment in the colony. The Mexican government granted it to her.

He was also at the origin of the first form of paper money used in Texas. In order to repay some debt, as early as 1825, DeWitt “resorted to the practice of issuing … handwritten currency in amounts of five, ten, and twenty dollars” in the form of land scrips.

Still, DeWitt deserves recognition for his role in building Texas and for fostering, through his perseverance in the face of hardships, the rebel spirit that Texans continue to embody.

The colony was started and built. Gonzales came to hold extraordinary importance in History. This would not have happened without DeWitt taking the risk to try, investing all his money, making the effort to recruit Americans and defend the colony, and fighting for the settlers.

In April 1835, DeWitt traveled to Monclova, Mexico, to make his final attempt to secure another contract to bring more families. He did not obtain it. While in Mexico, he contracted a disease (several sources say it was probably cholera) that ended his life there. He died on May 18, 1835, at the age of 48, and was buried in an unmarked grave.

DeWitt did not participate in the Texas Revolution. He died just before the revolution started—before the cannon he had secured was shot at Lieutenant Francisco de Castañeda and his 100 Mexican dragoons who had come to retrieve it. He never knew that Gonzales County was to become one of the first 23 counties of the Republic of Texas.

But who knows what he could have done if he had had the opportunity to fight with his fellow Texians for a freer Texas?

The Loyal Turned Rebel Colony – Individual Rights, Freedom, Ingenuity

When American colonists began to arrive and settle in Mexican Texas in the Austin and DeWitt colonies, Mexico was under a federal constitution that respected their rights, with which the descendants of the American Revolution could agree and adhere (in fact, the green, white, and red flag with 1824 was used by Texans to show their support for the 1824 Constitution as they increasingly opposed Mexico’s actions). They also swore to respect and uphold that constitution.

When settlers in East Texas declared their independence in December 1826, an episode known as the Fredonian Rebellion, Austin and DeWitt sided with Mexico.

In 1832, a delegation representing the Anglo-American colonies convened in San Felipe. During this convention, the Texians restated their loyalty to Mexico; they also started listing grievances and asked for the repeal of the 1830 law that prohibited further entry of American immigrants and the separation of Texas and Coahuila. During the second convention, in 1833, they started drafting a state constitution. But Santa Anna, elected president in 1833, had no interest in granting local control to an Anglo-American colonized Texas.

In October 1835, the Constitution of 1824 was repealed, and the Mexican government became centralized. For a long time, the Texians remained loyal to Mexico because that was agreed under the empresario contracts and because they did not seek a fight. However, little by little, it became clear to them that, if the Constitution of 1824 wasn’t reinstated, they had no other choice but to seek their independence from Mexico.

About six months after DeWitt’s death, tensions between Santa Anna’s Mexico and Texians and Tejanos loyal to the Constitution of 1824 had greatly increased. In late September, the Mexican government sent a hundred dragoons to Gonzales to retrieve the cannon. Just 18 men—the Old 18—delayed the Mexican troops’ mission while the town was waiting for reinforcements.

On October 2, 1835, “With rifles loaded, jugs in hand, and God on their side, the Texian militia sallied forth to meet the Mexicans,” Stephen Hardin depicted in his Texian Iliad. The Texians refused to return the cannon. If the Mexicans wanted it, they would have to “come and take it.” That day, Gonzales became the “Lexington of Texas.”

Some sources report that when DeWitt secured the cannon, he promised to return it at the request of the Mexican government. It’s very likely. However, the Mexican government from which he secured the cannon and the one that attempted to retrieve it were not the same, and the latter had a clear goal: to disarm Texians and crush any rebellion. We will never know what DeWitt would have done if he had been in Gonzales in late September 1835, but we know that he did what he could during his lifetime to ensure the safety of his settlers, including obtaining that very cannon.

We do know what DeWitt’s family did, too, at that time. Sarah Seely, DeWitt’s widow, and one of their daughters (whose identity varies depending on the source) used the wedding dress of one of the DeWitt daughters to make a flag that resonates to this day in every Texan’s heart: the Come and Take It Flag.

About six months later, as the Texas Revolution was in full swing, Gonzales was the only town to respond to William B. Travis’ call for help, “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World.” Thirty-two men from Gonzales—the Immortal 32—among them husbands and fathers, left for San Antonio to join the fight at the Alamo, never to return to their families.

Conclusion

DeWitt didn’t live to see (and fight in) the Texas Revolution, but I would argue that he planted a seed that would eventually make the Texians and Tejanos fighting for their rights successful. In other words, he played a pretty major role in the Revolution, even if it was a quieter, more behind-the-scenes role.

Despite numerous setbacks, a somewhat hostile environment, little support from the Mexican government, and limited resources, he persisted, never giving up.

Who knows how the Texas Revolution would have started without Gonzales being founded and DeWitt obtaining the cannon they eventually refused to return?

I can imagine that his courage and sacrifice served as a model to many of the settlers in his colony who fought and (some) died to make Texas independent and free—among them the Old 18 and the Immortal 32.

DeWitt’s wife and daughter created the famous flag that Texans, to this day, cherish and display as a warning against tyranny of any kind and a symbol of the refusal to surrender their rights.

Green DeWitt's achievement is no small feat. He had to show entrepreneurship, grit and perseverance, courage, temperance, service, and sacrifice.

Sarah Seely DeWitt and several members of the DeWitt family now rest on land that she petitioned the Mexican government to grant her.

The Green DeWitt cemetery is on a small mound in J. B. Wells Park and is accessible. It also includes a memorial to Green, who was buried in Mexico. It was pretty moving to stop by and reflect on what we, Texans, owe the DeWitt family.

If you get a chance, visit this little cemetery. The least we can do is remember and honor the sacrifices, perseverance, and courage of the DeWitt family. And keep Texas free.

Sources

Bishop, C. (2016, May 4). The Law of April 6, 1830: Catalyst for the Texas Revolution. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/law-of-april-6-1830

Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Ethel Zivley Rather papers, 1905-[circa 1954]. Texas Archival Resource Online. https://txarchives.org/utcah/finding_aids/02341.xml

Bullock Museum. (n.d.). Sarah Seely DeWitt’s petition for a Mexican land grant. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/sarah-seely-dewitts-petition-for-a-mexican-land-grant-spotlight-04-02-18

Cohn, L. K. (2024, April 10). Gonzales County Historical Commission to host DeWitt Colony bicentennial luncheon. Gonzales Inquirer. https://gonzalesinquirer.com/stories/gonzales-county-historical-commission-to-host-dewitt-colony-bicentennial-luncheon,96458

Flags of the Texas Revolution. (2023, December 2). Texas Historical Commission. https://thc.texas.gov/blog/flags-texas-revolution

Frenzel, V. E. (2008). Gonzales: Hope heartbreak heroes. Victoria Frenzel.

Green DeWitt $5 (five dollars) private scrip. (n.d.). SMU Libraries. https://digitalcollections.smu.edu/digital/collection/tbn/id/347/

Hardin, S. L. (1996). Texian Iliad: A military history of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836. University of Texas Press.

Hardin, S. L. (2014, July 18). The Old Eighteen: Heroes of Gonzales. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/old-eighteen

Henson, M. S. (2021, January 4). Anglo-American colonization in Mexican Texas (1821-1835). Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/anglo-american-colonization

Long, C. (2019, April 24). The Old Three Hundred: Pioneers of Texas colonization. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/old-three-hundred

Lukes, A. E. (1970). The De Witt Colony of Texas, 1825-1836 [Doctoral dissertation, Loyola University Chicago]. eCommons. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/1203/

McDonald, A. P. (2020, October 22). The Fredonian Rebellion: A struggle for independence in Texas. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fredonian-rebellion

Missouri Secretary of State. (n.d.). Timeline of historic Missouri: 1673-1820. https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/timeline/1

National Archives. (n.d.). Articles of Confederation (1777). https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation

National Constitution Center. (n.d.). The constitutional convention. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/drafting-table/item/drafting-the-united-states-constitution

Rather, E. Z. (1905). DeWitt’s colony. The University of Texas at Austin. https://archive.org/details/dewittscolony00rath/page/n3/mode/2up

Roel, C. H. (2020, August 11). The history of DeWitt’s Colony in Texas. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dewitts-colony

Slayter, M. G. (2023, June 29). Sarah Seely DeWitt: Pioneer of Texas and creator of the ‘Come and Take It’ Flag. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dewitt-sarah-seely

Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas. (n.d.). The DeWitt Colony Alamo defenders. https://www.sonsofdewittcolony.org/gonreliefframe.htm

Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas. (n.d.). Green DeWitt: 1787-1835. https://www.sonsofdewittcolony.org/dewitt&kerr2.htm#dewitt

Tarlton Law Library, Jamail Center for Legal Research. (2023, August 15). Constitutions of Texas 1824-1876. University of Texas. https://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/constitutions/constitution-state-coahuila-texas-1827

Texas Historical Commission. (2021, October 2). The first shot of the Texas Revolution, fired from the west side of the Guadalupe River about four miles outside [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TexasHistoricalCommission/posts/the-first-shot-of-the-texas-revolution-fired-from-the-west-side-of-the-guadalupe/4219557294823710/

Texas State Historical Association. (1995, November 1). History of Old Station: A key settlement in DeWitt’s colony. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/old-station

The Travis Letter. (1836, February 24). The Alamo. https://www.thealamo.org/remember/battle-and-revolution/travis-letter

U.S. Census Bureau. (2022, June 1). Kentucky 230th anniversary of statehood (1792): June 1, 2022 [Press release]. https://web.archive.org/web/20241112210053/https:/www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/kentucky-admission-anniversary.html

Did you know that the hamburger was born in Athens, Texas?

Well, at least that’s what the Texas Legislature declared in a 2007 House Concurrent Resolution, recognizing the East Texas town as the “original home of the hamburger.” To be fair, the resolution also acknowledged that others claimed to have invented the American food staple, too, but cited research that seemed to favor Athens.

The origins of the hamburger are uncertain, and claims have also come from Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Oklahoma.

Walter Anderson from Wichita, Kansas, who, with E.W. “Billy” Ingram, founded White Castle in 1921, is also credited with inventing the hamburger as it is known today—with a bun. White Castle is often regarded as the first fast food hamburger chain. They were followed by many, including the McDonald brothers, with the creation of McDonald’s in 1940.

Fast forward to mid-2005 in Austin, Texas. At the corner of South Lamar and Barton Springs, in a 527-square-foot building with a retro look, no dining room, and only a drive-thru, a new burger joint just opened its doors. Also located in that prime spot in Austin, no less than five fast food giants surrounded it: Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Taco Cabana, and McDonald’s.

“And today we’re across the street from McDonald’s. Everybody else is gone. So, we were never intimidated by the big guys.” —Patrick Terry

Twenty years ago, on July 5, 2005, Patrick Terry and his wife, Kathy, launched their vision of a traditional burger stand, with a specific and original mission in mind. The couple aspired to sell healthy burgers, fries, and milkshakes at a price lower than the competition. P. Terry’s Burger Stand was born. This month,
P. Terry’s, now a beloved Austin institution, celebrated its 20th anniversary.*

Patrick Terry was born in Fort Worth and raised in Abilene, Texas, at a time when Mack Eplen's Drivateria was the go-to burger stand. After graduating from UT Austin, he worked in advertising and headed the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission.

Kathy Terry grew up in Midland in a working class family. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and worked on patent-infringement litigation issues.

The Terrys have two daughters.

Patrick Terry’s dream was to own and run a classic burger stand, like the ones he remembered from his childhood in Abilene. He waited five years for the perfect spot, and when that location became available, he took a “leap of faith.”

The burger stand was both traditional and unique. It aimed to offer a simple menu that included classic burgers, fries, and milkshakes, while also being both healthy and affordable. It was an ambitious yet simple goal, one that required hard work from the Terrys and their employees and immediately received support from the Austin community, to which the Terrys would regularly give back over the years.

This July, P. Terry’s celebrated 20 years of serving fresh burgers and fries, with now more than 30 stores, expanding beyond Austin into San Marcos, San Antonio, and even Houston—a well-deserved and unique success.

Values

Tradition, Family, Service, Giving Back.

Virtues

Hard Work, Perseverance and Patience, Humility, Growth Mindset, Pursuit of Excellence, Business Acumen, Community.

[*I had planned to finish this article on July 4, but the events in Central Texas captured my attention instead. In the aftermath of the floods, many businesses chose to donate food or money, or to allocate a portion of their profits to relief efforts. P. Terry’s was among those, and what happened only confirms P. Terry’s generosity and support from the Austin community.]

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Tradition: Bringing Back Simple & Good Products and Service

Patrick Terry’s “fascination with burgers, fries, and milkshakes” started with a childhood favorite: Mack Eplen's Drivateria, which he credits with having “an amazing influence” on him :

“He did everything from scratch. He had a commissary, made his own buns, ground his own meat. I mean, it was just amazing the quality that he offered in such a small town at such a great price.” —Patrick Terry

Childhood favorites often involve family memories. If, as a child, you’ve begged your parents to take you to have a burger and fries, you know what I’m talking about: The excitement was palpable—it was a whole experience going and dining there.

This is why, after opening their first location, which was in the best spot but only had a drive-thru, the Terrys opened a second one that had a dining room.

“I can still remember a car pulling up and a group of little boys jumping out of the car and racing to the doors with their parents behind them. I can't get that vision out of my mind because it was really what we were trying to achieve … a place where people would genuinely be excited to go to and enjoy what we were hoping would be a meal that was special.” —Patrick Terry

Terry’s vision is straightforward and appeals to a quintessential and traditional American value—the family—by allowing for special moments and memories with those you love to be created. No fuss: The focus is on offering a simple menu (not a choice of 10+ types of burgers), with simple but quality ingredients.

P. Terry’s website and LinkedIn page emphasize the traditional and Americana sides of the business, as well as the “small-town hospitality” it aims to recreate. “I wanted a service that was back-in-the-day, that used to exist, that I think has, for the most part, fallen off,” Terry explains.

On a similar theme, the googie architecture used for all P. Terry’s stands intentionally aims to create a feel of timelessness.

A Culture Grounded in Family, Service, and Hard Work

Before opening P. Terry’s, Patrick and Kathy Terry were no strangers to starting a business or managing a restaurant. Patrick Terry launched his burger stand in his mid-40s, and the couple put all their energy into it. Both emphasize that it was hard work. Kathy Terry confirms that “the first three years were really hard … we were doing everything.” And Patrick Terry insists he couldn’t have done it without his wife.

Passion, dedication, patience, and perseverance were on the menu. Patrick Terry is deeply passionate about the company’s mission and was willing to invest the necessary energy and time to make it successful. He recalls that when they started, “I … devote[d] a large portion of my life to that business. I work[ed] my butt off every day. I would work from 7 in the morning till 10 or 11 at night until I just couldn't do it anymore, and I did it pretty much every day.”

It was a family business from the start as the couple worked together to make the venture successful. Patrick Terry had set the bar high and had decided never to bend the burger stand’s standards he had established. Terry was ambitious, but the high standards for product quality and service are now well-known as part of what makes P. Terry’s a favorite of Austinites.

To reach those standards and last 20 years (and counting), Patrick and Kathy Terry slowly but surely built a company culture that focuses on taking care of each other (employer-employee) and giving back (to the community).

P. Terry’s employees, some of them who have been with the company nearly from the beginning, are entitled to benefits that are uncommon in the fast food industry.

As soon as it became financially possible, the Terrys decided to pay their employees a minimum wage of $15. Patrick Terry believes it benefits them because they retain staff while helping them live in an increasingly expensive Austin. It was, notwithstanding, a voluntary choice made by the company because it could.

But there’s more. A few years after P. Terry’s first opened, one of the company’s employees was unable to come to work because his pickup truck had broken down and he couldn’t afford to fix it. With humor, Terry recalls that this employee was taking care of the fries, and in his absence, Terry would have to take over, but he didn’t like taking care of the fries, so he offered to lend him money without interest to fix his truck. This became a company practice: when an employee faces an unforeseen expense, P. Terry’s can provide an interest-free loan that the employee can repay through paycheck deductions at a pace that suits them.

No politics or virtue signaling here, however. Terry understands that taking care of one another, just as family members would, is beneficial to all family members.

Family emerges as a prominent theme in the P. Terry’s company culture. When they started, the Terrys worked alongside their employees full-time, and, as Kathy Terry explained, they got to know them and their lives.

An early moment in the company's history created a family-like tradition that became a core part of the culture. Kathy Terry once realized at the end of the day that it was an employee’s birthday. She had worked with that employee all day but did not know. That evening, she decided to bake a cake. For the next few years, Kathy Terry personally baked a birthday cake for each employee. As the company grew, it became increasingly difficult for her to continue doing so. However, the company did not stop the tradition. The Terrys hired someone full-time to bake and deliver the birthday cakes and even bought a company car specifically for that purpose.

Today, the company has two bakers and a delivery person dedicated to employee birthday cakes.

P. Terry’s fosters a strong culture where employees are valued and respected. In addition, Terry clearly understands that the resources the company dedicates to employees must be created—he recognizes that tough decisions are sometimes necessary, and the business must come first because, without the business, there are no employees. Then, however, the employees are key to growing the business.

“Once you have the team member, the way you keep them, the way we’ve kept them, is that we respect them. …

My wife and I … we know that we can’t do this without them. So the first thing we do is admit that.” —Patrick Terry

In turn, customers must be well taken care of, which is much easier when employees feel valued and feel that they make a difference.

P. Terry’s keeps in mind the importance of making its customers happy and keeping them satisfied. One way to ensure this happens is through a dedicated phone number that customers can text to provide feedback. The feedback is sent to the store manager, the area director, the VP of operations, and Patrick Terry himself.

On top of a traditional customer service—friendly, helpful, and fast service—
P. Terry’s serves its customers by

• providing as healthy an option as burgers and fries can be,

• ensuring consistency in both the product and the way it is offered, and

• maintaining this excellence throughout their now 30+ locations.

Patrick Terry’s vision was of a traditional burger stand, but he and his wife and business partner, Kathy, had also read the book Fast Food Nation, which encouraged them to “do it right” by providing healthy options. This was probably the trickiest part of operating P. Terry’s, especially at the beginning.

Back then, the Terrys had to go to California to find a vendor who could provide hormone-free, antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed beef. In addition, the company only uses Idaho Burbank potatoes, from which employees remove sugar and cut fresh by hand. The fries were the company’s “biggest challenge,” according to Patrick Terry.

“Most places don’t serve fresh fries, and most places don’t serve Idaho potatoes because they’re seasonal and it’s a very tricky thing on removing sugar, and they sit in a bath all day. I mean the components that go behind that order of French fries that you bought for $1.90 is … just crazy.” —Patrick Terry

In 2024, readers of the Austin American-Statesman voted P. Terry’s fries the best among 30 restaurants in Austin and Central Texas.

In their quest for healthier food for their burger stand, the Terrys show their dedication to excellence by seeking the best ingredients while keeping prices affordable. Even as they grew and gained more leverage on the price they paid for the ingredients, they still focused on improving the quality of their products rather than directly benefiting from the savings they made. It is reminiscent of Neiman Marcus refusing to compromise on quality during the Great Depression. As Kathy Terry puts it, “We had a vision and we were going to stay true to that vision.”

And this has not always been easy, especially since COVID-19 and when inflation reached historical highs. A year or two ago, when I was handed a takeaway bag at one of their drive-thrus, a little note was included explaining that they had no choice but to make a small increase to their menu prices due to inflation. I sincerely felt for the company—we were all going through inflation—and I appreciated the note explaining why I would be paying slightly more starting that day.

Similarly, about 15 years ago, P. Terry’s handed out a note to customers about the fries, explaining that the potatoes did not meet their standard, so if customers weren’t satisfied, they’d reimburse the fries. Clear communication with customers is an essential part of the service P. Terry’s delivers.

P. Terry’s is associated with quality and fresh products at an affordable price (just like quality was for Neiman Marcus). Patrick Terry, who doesn’t hesitate to call himself a capitalist, offers this excellence based on his beliefs, focus on service, and business acumen—this is part of the brand and benefits both “the mothership” and employees.

P. Terry’s drive-thrus and dining rooms also feature an open kitchen, allowing customers to see their meal as it is being prepared. Everything is made to order, which means there’s the constant challenge of balancing quality with quick service. P. Terry’s is, after all, a fast food restaurant.

Patrick Terry is concerned that growth could erode the burger stand’s successful culture and decrease quality. This is one reason why P. Terry’s is not a franchise chain, and the opening of additional restaurants was previously limited to the Austin area but is now slowly expanding into Houston and San Antonio.

“We’re control freaks. I don’t think we could give the control up. We just feel like it runs better if it’s under the company umbrella.” —Patrick Terry

Limiting the growth allows the Terrys to have more control over the culture and the quality of the products and service they offer. Similar to Herbert and Carrie Marcus, Patrick Terry cannot be at two locations at the same time, which is why it was good that the second restaurant opened not too far away from the first one.

“My greatest nightmare is to have someone say to me ‘Oh I remember when you used to be good.’” —Patrick Terry

After all, P. Terry’s Burger Stand was founded in Austin and retains some of the city’s uniqueness. Patrick Terry intentionally started there because he believes it is the best place to open a restaurant: “I think there’s a consciousness in this city that is like no other.”

What makes Austin particularly special, according to the Terrys, is the sense of community that is found there. And they credit their early success to a supportive community:

“I’ve always said that if you have to start a business … South Austin may be the most special place in Texas, maybe on earth. I mean, when we were at Lamar and Barton Springs … we really couldn’t believe people kept coming back when we first opened because we really didn’t know what we were doing.” —Patrick Terry

The Terrys demonstrate great humility, regularly claiming that they were not skilled at what they were doing when they first started. But they did not give up. Patrick Terry may take failures and setbacks personally, but after reflecting and seeking solutions, he refuses to carry those failures and setbacks with him and instead moves forward.

Terry analyzes the situation, problem, or setback, figures out a plan, and then goes for it: “You take a leap of faith … at one point that’s all you can do.” Still, he always seeks where he and the business can improve: “I’m never ever quite satisfied. I think it’s how I keep things going, in constantly trying to improve.”

Doing everything, maintaining standards, and constantly aiming to offer higher quality and improve certainly demonstrate a growth mindset.

Community and Giving Back

For the Terrys, it was impossible not to thank the Austin community that supported them from the beginning, a community they credit with their success. And indeed, the Terrys have made giving back a core value of their business.

Four times a year, the restaurant selects a Saturday—its busiest day of the week—and donates all the profits from that day to local charities. In 20 years, P. Terry’s has given back more than $2 million. Charities that receive the donations have to use the money “entirely [for] the immediate needs of the local communities [P. Terry’s] serve[s] – Austin and San Antonio.”

Another way for the burger stand to support the communities it operates in is Spirit Nights: “For qualifying schools and school-related organizations that are looking to raise money, P. Terry’s will donate 10% of sales made from 4-10pm (excluding third-party online sales) on the day of the event at the host location.”

In an episode of the Austin360 podcast, Kathy Terry explains how this stems from the support they received when they first started:

“Like Patrick has said so many times, when we first started, we were making so many mistakes and people kept coming back and we were like, oh my gosh, we have to give back ourselves because the community was so supportive.” —Kathy Terry

And every occasion they can give back, they do. While Kerrville and Kerr County were the most impacted by the recent flood in Central Texas, so was Travis County (where Austin is) as well. The majority of the flooding happened on July 4, on the eve of P. Terry’s 20th anniversary. Two days after their anniversary, P. Terry’s announced that, on July 10, the company would donate all profits from that day from all of its locations to Austin Disaster Relief.

What happened on July 10 is not only a testament to Texans’ kindness and generosity, but also to P. Terry’s enormous success and reputation: Hundreds of people lined up and waited patiently, sometimes forming lines that circled entire blocks, to participate and help support relief efforts.

Commenting on the post in which Patrick Terry explained how Texans showed up that day, a reader wrote:

“I waited 2 hours in line and I have no regrets, it was beautiful to see all the people lined up and waiting. God Bless Texas.”

P. Terry’s ran out of food in some locations and had to close early. They were able to donate $150,000.

Conclusion

We can recognize the values and virtues we reviewed in the burger stand’s operating principles, which can be found on the company’s website:

- We do the right thing

- We assume positive intent

- We have each other’s back

- We are transparent & timely with our communication

- We understand and respect each other’s roles

- We think big but act small.

I’m a big fan of P. Terry’s. For me, it all started with the taste. When I first tried the burger stand many years ago, I noticed that the ingredients looked and tasted extremely fresh, unlike those at some other burger chains. Plus, their burgers were a standard size and not expensive.

If you look closely, the information is available at the restaurants and on their packaging. It is noticeable, though, that P. Terry’s does not invest a lot of money in marketing and advertising, as they prefer to focus on a good company culture and the quality of what they sell. The Terrys credit their growth to word of mouth; the Austin community, they say, has always been there to support them. The Austin community had their back from the beginning.

Word of mouth led me to try P. Terry’s. The taste and quality convinced me to become a customer.

Like all Texas stories of achievement, P. Terry’s pursued clear values and achieved them through distinct virtues—all of which we continue to see in Texas business stories.

Patrick and Kathy Terry successfully recreated, in Austin, a piece of Americana that was dear to Patrick Terry’s and, I’m sure, many Texans’ hearts, while adding an Austinite touch.

Happy 20th Anniversary, P. Terry’s, and thank you! Here’s to many more years of serving Texans fresh burgers, fries, and shakes!

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Sources

^†From Top Business Leaders Show podcast episode (2023).

Anderson, W. (Host.). (2021, October 5). Austin: The recipe for success at P. Terry's Burger Stand isn't the delicious menu [Audio podcast episode]. In Texas Business Minds. Link.

Arrojado, C. (2019, August 22). Austin burger icon P. Terry’s is on its way. QSR Magazine. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/emerging-concepts/austin-burger-icon-p-terry-s-its-way/

Broyles A., & Vidales, A. (Hosts.). (2019, December 20). What Austin and the community mean to P. Terry’s (No. 108) [Audio podcast episode]. In I love you so much: The Austin360 Podcast. Link.

Chmais, S. (Host.). (2024, October 8). Austin: Patrick Terry is back! Why the P. Terry's boss is opening his books [Audio podcast episode]. In Texas Business Minds. Link.

Coody Smits, J. (2015, August). Things I've learned: Patrick Terry. Austin Monthly. https://www.austinmonthly.com/things-ive-learned-patrick-terry/

Crossley, K., & Villareal, I. (Hosts.). (2022, September 27). Kathy Terry: Opening multiple restaurants, learning from failure, & the importance of philanthropy with co-founder of P. Terry's (No. 10) [Audio podcast episode]. In Founding Fearless. Link.

English, J., & Politz, M. (Hosts.). (2022, February 7). P. Terry’s CEO, Todd Coerver (No. 3) [Audio podcast episode] In Food & Beverage Magazine Live! Link.

Franzen, C. (Host.). (2023, December 27). [SpotOn series] Establishing a high standard with Patrick Terry, owner and co-founder of P.Terry’s Burger Stand [Audio podcast episode]. In Top Business Leaders Show. Link.

Hood, C. (2019, August 6). "inLieu of the sh*t," a thread tales chat with Kathy Terry, founder of P. Terry's & inLieu. Thread Tales of Austin. https://threadtalesatx.com/thread-tales/interview-with-kathy-terry

Hubbard, C. (Host.). (2023, January 25). The special sauce of P. Terry’s success (No. 5) [Audio podcast episode]. In The ProFiles Podcast. Link.

Kelso, A. (2021, March 1). Why (and how) Texas-based P. Terry’s Burger Stand raised its wages to $15 an hour. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2021/03/01/why-and-how-texas-based-p-terrys-burger-stand-raised-its-wages-to-15-an-hour/

Ketcham, S. (Host.). (2019, November 13). Fulfilling life long dream of opening burger stand [Patrick Terry, P. Terry's Burger Stand] (No. 15) [Audio podcast episode]. In The 5-Minute Founder. Link.

Ocampo Restrepo, I. (2024, June 27). Which Austin restaurant has the best French fries? Here are the poll results. Austin American-Statesman. https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/27/austin-restaurant-best-french-fries-poll-results-p-terrys/74135971007

Oches, S. (Host.). (2020, February 25). P. Terry's Patrick Terry (No. 22) [Audio podcast episode]. In Fast Forward podcast. QSR Magazine. Link.

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (n.d.-a). About. LinkedIn.com. https://www.linkedin.com/company/pterrys/about/

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (n.d.-b). Giving back. https://pterrys.com/giving-back/

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (n.d.-c). Spirit Nights. https://pterrys.com/spirit-nights/

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (n.d.-d). Feedback. https://pterrys.com/feedback/

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (n.d.-e). Careers. https://pterrys.com/careers/

P. Terry’s Burger Stand. (2025a, July 11). Wow. We have no words. Today we saw thousands of you show up, in the drive-thru, in our lobbies, in [Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pterrys_wow-we-have-no-words-today-we-saw-thousands-ugcPost-7349275151118520320-bbzO/

P. Terry's Burger Stand [@p_terrys]. (2025b, July 10). "Wow. We have no words. Today we saw thousands of you show up, in the drive-thru, in our lobbies, in” [Video]. Instagram. Link.

Srinivasan, A., & Ries, A. (Hosts.). (2021, July 13). How P. Terry's became a Texas favorite (No. 3) [Audio podcast episode]. In Business Unusual. Link.

TEDx Talks. (2024, August 12). Seeking Significance to Drive Success | Kathy Terry | TEDxUTAustin [Video]. YouTube. Link.

Ucles, E. (2018, April 9). Philanthropy is at your fingertips with inLieu. Austin Woman. https://atxwoman.com/2018/04/09/inlieu-philanthropy-at-your-fingertips/

A 2024 Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas study reported that Texas was number 1 in relocations of businesses from 2000 to 2019 (the study period), with

more than 25,000 establishments relocated to Texas from other states from 2010–19, bringing more than 281,000 jobs. At the same time, just over 18,000 establishments left the state, costing about 179,000 jobs. The result: a net migration of 7,232 firms and an addition of nearly 103,000 jobs.

As a result, Texas gained more jobs than any other state, while California lost the most jobs on the opposite side. Since 2020, 200 companies have relocated their headquarters to Texas, according to Business Insider, including Tesla and Chevron. (Also see previous articles, The Texas Model, Texas vs. California, and Governor Greg Abbott.)

The media are quick to talk about relocations, but what about the businesses that were established in Texas decades ago and have been successful ever since?

Twenty years ago today, on June 17, 2005, a bill passed by the 79th Texas Legislature that aimed to do just that officially became law. Senate Bill 920 (79-R) created the Texas Treasure Awards, which enabled the Texas Historical Commission to present this recognition to businesses that had been in continued operation in Texas for at least 50 years (special recognition can also be given to Texas businesses operating for at least 75 years, at least 100 years, and at least 125 years).

The Texas Historical Commission focuses on historic preservation, which generally targets monuments or historical buildings, rather than operating businesses. SB 920, authored by Senator Leticia Van de Putte and sponsored by Representative Charles “Doc” Anderson, aimed to honor

businesses that have been in existence in Texas for a lengthy, specified period of time [and] that have remained committed to Texas for generations and have helped to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

Here's how it works: you can nominate your own business or nominate someone else’s business (as long as you have the permission of the business owner) if the business has been operating continuously (without substantial interruption) for at least 50 years, is owned by Texans and/or operated in Texas, and is an independent business (not a franchise of a bigger, national group). Once the nomination is accepted by the executive director of the Texas Historical Commission, the certificate is also signed by the senator and representative of the district where the business that receives the award primarily operates.

Since the creation of the award, more than 500 businesses have been recognized, according to the Texas Historical Commission—such a simple yet lovely way to acknowledge the importance of local businesses, big and small (among the award recipients are HEB and Black’s BBQ), in our communities.

You can find the information you need to nominate a business here, and many examples of businesses that received the award there.

I was unaware of the existence of this award when I first started Achievement, TX. I am not surprised, though: the Texan entrepreneurial spirit was essential to the foundation and growth of Texas, so it makes sense that we would recognize our local businesses as an integral part of the history of our communities and of what makes Texas, Texas.

Share

Sources

Are Businesses Historic Sites? (n.d.). Texas Time Travel. https://texastimetravel.com/travel-by-theme/historic-businesses/

Hart, J. (2025, February 27). The major companies which have relocated to Texas, from Tesla to Chevron. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-moving-to-texas

Orrenius, P., Pranger, A., Zavodny, M., and Parra, O. (2024, February 2). Hang your hat in Texas: State remains a leader in firm relocations. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. https://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2024/swe2402

SB 920. History. 79th Texas Legislature. (2005). https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=79R&Bill=SB920

SB 920 Bill Analysis. Senate Research Center. 79th Texas Legislature. (2005, March 31). https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/79R/analysis/pdf/SB00920I.pdf

Texas Treasure Business Awards. (n.d.). Texas Historical Commission. https://thc.texas.gov/preserve/tourism-and-economic-development/texas-treasure-business-awards

Life has a strong sense of humor, though. The irony was that the day before the hiatus was to be forced by circumstances, I had posted this note:

As I had to leave behind for a while Achievement, TX, notifications of likes for this post kept showing up on my phone, and without any new post from me on my Substack, as the likes for and visibility of this note increased, lo and behold, new subscribers signed in! Hey, hard work does pay 😉

First, welcome to new subscribers, and thank you to all of you who have stayed loyal to this publication. You have no idea how much this means to me. Also, new posts are coming.

There is an expression in French that says, literally, that shoemakers always have the worst shoes (“les cordonniers sont toujours les plus mal chaussés”)—in English, “the shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.” The expression, in French, means to convey that we don’t always apply the same care for our own affairs as we do for our clients’… or for people we care about.

Life's setbacks have taught me that, given the same situation, it is harder to remain objective when it happens to you than when it happens to a friend—even when you know the right thing to do.

This publication is the pursuit of my desire to celebrate achievement, analyze what leads to it, and share its stories so that others may be inspired by and learn from them.

Yet, I recently failed to find inspiration and advice in the very stories I’ve written about, so focused that I was on the obstacle before me.

It is crucially important to surround yourself with people who love you or care enough about you to tell you the truth even—especially—when they know how hard it will be for you to hear it—and who have the courage to do so. Surrounding ourselves with nice, yes-people may be comforting, but comfort is not the way to growth (or achievement). Nor does it usually lead to the best advice.

Yet, during a storm, it can sometimes be hard to know whether you should listen to your own advice or get input from people around you. It does not have to be either-or. I’ve learned to pay attention to the people in my life who show up in the hard times, not just the easy ones, and who are kind but who, I know, will tell me the truth. I’ve noticed that these positive traits often come together, not separately.

If this sounds cryptic, that’s because it is, in part, meant to be 😁 However, there was a lesson to learn for me related to achievement that I wanted to share.

I am grateful to a couple of people who showed up and told me to keep going, or simply supported me, when I was about to give up. They reminded me of the importance of resilience and perseverance. I am also thankful for people I barely knew, if I knew them at all, who have simply shown kindness that gave me a boost when, unbeknown to them, I needed it most at that specific time.

I’ve come to believe that kindness is an integral part of and necessary for achievement. Work to be the best soul you can be and surround yourself with soulmates.

This post is the last in the January(-ish) series focused on policy/policymaking relevant to the start of the 89th Texas Legislature. This is still not about politics but rather about policies and policymaking that can create an environment that will foster value creation, flourishing, and pursuing one’s dreams.

The time has come to talk about Texas vs. California.

About 6 months before I moved to Texas from New York (after coming from France two years before), I had an interview for a job in California. I was very excited about the opportunity, especially the organization I would have worked for, but less so for the state.

Don’t get me wrong—California is a beautiful state with some awesome resources and entrepreneurs—in many ways, it reminds me of France. The job would have been in Orange County, but the state already overtaxed its residents and over-regulated their lives then. Yes indeed, in many ways, it reminded me of France and the exact reasons why I had left my native country.

Texas, on the other hand, was very different from France, and it held the promise that attracted me to America: an environment full of opportunities to seize if you would only work hard for them, with a government that intervened less in your life. Achievement was up to you to pursue, work hard for, seize, and concretize—it was in your hands.

I did not get the job in California, and I’ve been thankful for that ever since—especially since I moved to Texas.

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The rivalry between the states of Texas and California is well-known. There is the friendly, funny rivalry that has us Texans tease Californians ALL.THE.TIME.

But this rivalry is real in a very fundamental way, which Kenneth P. Miller thoroughly covers in his book “Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America” (all page numbers refer to the ebook version).

Miller did a remarkable job comparing both states—perhaps being himself a Californian married to a Texan helped! He discusses the history, geography, demographics, and culture of both states, as well as their political influences and evolution and where they stand today—looking at both the pros and cons. Only in the last chapter does Miller, with much caution, make small prognostications about the future.

I will not discuss the political aspect of the book—although it is certainly helpful to understand where both states come from and where they stand today—but I encourage you to read the book instead. Many of the other aspects are very informative to our study of achievement and how the Texas environment helps.

A Conflict of Visions Between Siblings

Miller starts by comparing the two states, which he describes as “close siblings that became rivals” (p. 3) or, as he later in the book quotes Lawrence Wright, “mirror image twins” (quoted on p. 245).

Understanding the historical context is crucial to fully grasp the comparison between Texas and California. Some fundamental similarities do exist (p. 5). For example, both states used to be provinces of Spain and Mexico. The lands of both states were settled by American immigrants looking West for opportunity during the period of Manifest Destiny. Both were Republics before joining the Union (although, admittedly, it is a bit of a stretch for California). California joined the Union just 5 years after Texas. Finally, both states have similar demographics, especially having become, as Miller puts it, “co-capitals of Hispanic America” (p. 41) but also having attracted diverse populations overall throughout their history.

The resemblances are striking, but the two states started diverging subtly and ever so quickly. As Miller points out, these lands were underpopulated when Mexico possessed the lands that now make Texas and California. Few Mexicans wanted to live there to develop them, notably because they would have been vulnerable to attacks from Indians (p. 13). Mexico hence agreed to American immigration as a solution.

Miller explains that the American immigrants who went to Texas “were mostly coming from the South and brought their southern culture” (p. 12). On the other hand, “a more diverse mix of people migrated to faraway California and established a cosmopolitan society on the Pacific Coast. Although its settlers included southerners, California was more aligned with New England and the rest of the North in matters of culture, economics, and politics” (p. 12).

With its southern and western culture, Texas became more traditionalistic and conservative, while California became more moralistic and progressive. [Miller uses political scientist Daniel Elazar’s terminology with moralistic here meaning a “political culture believe[ing] that government should identify and promote a concept of the common good, and that citizens should actively engage in political life” (p. 72).]

Texas’ Culture Fosters Self-Reliance

As we’ve seen before, the Texas Model is based on generally low taxes, fewer regulations, a business-friendly environment, the right to work (as not forcing unions on employees), a generally free-market approach to the economy, all of which tend to lead to more opportunities and a more affordable way of life for everyone. It’s also an environment that allows more people from all walks of life to start a business—not just the very wealthy who have the financial means to jump through the hoops of burdensome and expensive regulations. As Miller insists, many relocated to Texas, from California or elsewhere, because they could afford to live in the Lone Star State.

Although California remains a wealthy state as it retains many successful businesses, increasingly, only the richest can live in many parts of California—only the wealthiest can afford to pay heavy taxes and costly regulations imposed on Californians in the name of the common good. Regulating almost every aspect of nearly 40 million imposes an enormous cost on them, first in taxes needed for such a government and then in compliance costs. Whether one prefers that model to a light, more libertarian-type one does not change the fact that each leads to different consequences. In a situation such as California’s, it becomes increasingly more difficult and expensive for the middle class to live; the number of poor people tends to increase, and they need to survive on government help.

The values we see today in Texas culture can be traced back to her history. Miller notes, for example, that “the Lone Star Constitution places many shackles on state government” (p. 135).

California, in comparison, has become the leading progressive state in the Union, convinced that the role of government is to promote the common good, notably by redistributing wealth (or having the richest “pay their fair share”). Where Texas refused to make policymaking a full-time pursuit (you may remember this from the article on the Texas Capitol and Texas Legislature), California went the opposite way and generously pays its lawmakers (“fifteen times more than lawmakers in Texas” (p. 140)).

Where California grows government to intervene further in Californians’ lives, Texas has tried (although it doesn’t mean that the state has always succeeded) to empower Texans by mostly staying out of their way.

Miller explains that Texas, with its mix of Southern and Western cultures, supports values such as marriage, family, religion, individual freedom, self-responsibility, self-sufficiency, and private charity. Texans also demonstrate a strong loyalty to their state and an “aversion to interference from outsiders—especially from the federal government and coastal elites” (p. 81).

Miller summarizes the situation as follows:

“The substructure of the Texas Model is thoroughly conservative, moored to the values of individualism, personal responsibility, free market capitalism, limited government, and a resistance to outside meddling. Conversely, the California Model is anchored in contemporary progressivism, with its belief that government should use all the power at its disposal to overturn oppressive structures, redress inequality, combat discrimination in its many forms, confront the global environmental crisis, ensure public health, and more.”
(p. 248)

What appears clear to me is that Texas places much more trust into each individual’s capacity to succeed, while California assumes that you can’t live your life without government help. Nuff said.

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The Road to Achievement Starts Here

In Texas, that is.

Both states have known success. California has remained the 5th economy in the world (if it were a country), while Texas is making its way to the top, now # 8 (right behind France)—from # 9 when Miller wrote the book.

People constantly choose between the two models, too.

Miller reports that “between 2007 and 2016, approximately 6 million California residents moved out of the state, with a net out-migration of about 1 million” (p. 31). A 2019 survey revealed that half of those surveyed had considered doing the same because of “high housing costs, taxes, and the state’s political culture” (p. 31). In the 1990s already, Miller reports, Black Californians were leaving California because they couldn’t afford to leave there (p. 39).

Texas continues to be the preferred destination for Americans looking for a better life and the first contributor state is California. Between 2020 and 2021, more than 105,000 Californians moved to Texas, almost 3 times more than the second state bringing in migrants, Florida. California was also the top destination for people moving out of Texas, but only for 36,092 people. In comparison, nearly 38,000 Texans moved to Florida, admittedly a state with values more similar to those found in Texas than in California. Texas natives are also most likely to remain in Texas, with 82% of native Texans still living in the Lone Star State in 2021.

Thinking for a minute outside of the context of Texas and California, or any other state for that matter, achievements are best pursued and reached in the absence of artificial shackles and burdens imposed by policymaking. As we’ve seen with Texas achievements already, we all face enough hardships or difficulties, often through no fault of our own (fires, financial crisis, wars for Neiman Marcus, or hot-only-as-hell-can-be fires to extinguish for Red Adair), without government adding to these.

The Texas state of mind, which favors independence, hard work, self-responsibility, and grit, along with friendliness and traditional values such as private charity and family, all coupled with limited government intervention, has proven not only to provide a fertile environment for achievements throughout Texas history but also to retain achievers and attract new ones constantly.

In his review of Miller’s book for the Claremont Review of Books, Michael Anton concluded that,

I agree.

May the Texas spirit continue to prevail in the Lone Star State.

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When I first considered individuals, businesses, and historical events to feature as Texas achievers or achievements, Governor Greg Abbott was one of the first to come to mind. Several years ago, I read his autobiography, Broken But Unbowed,* and admired the strength of character that made his achievements possible.

Achievement, TX, aims to acknowledge and celebrate achievements, look at specific traits and characteristics of Texas achievers and achievements, and inspire readers to pursue their goals and dreams. Some articles will tell entire stories, others will focus on a specific aspect.

This article focuses on Governor Abbott's very Texan virtues of determination, grit, hard work, and gratitude, which are best visible in the story he tells in his book.

[Some readers might protest based on their political beliefs. If that’s you, please remember the purpose of this publication (see here and here). I do hope you’ll keep reading.]

Governor Abbott’s story offers invaluable lessons, particularly his unwavering commitment to hard work and his determination to chart his own path, which underpin his remarkable achievements. His story is a testament to the Texan spirit of resilience and grit, which resonates with all who call Texas home.

We all face hardships—some major, some less so. Regardless, hardships can hit us hard and discourage us from pursuing our goals.

I hope my overcoming obstacles can be useful to your life challenges. You have a calling. You have dreams for a better life. There's no reason you can't fulfill those aspirations. (p. 243)

I found Governor Abbott’s story incredibly inspiring, as inspiring as Texan achievements can be. On the 10-year anniversary of his first inauguration as governor of the great state of Texas, I hope you will find it inspiring, too.

* All page numbers in parentheses refer to the hardcover version of Broken But Unbowed, unless stated otherwise. The quote in the subtitle is on page 109.

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Gregory Wayne Abbott was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, on November 13, 1957. He later grew up in Duncanville, where he graduated from high school. His classmates, recognizing his potential, voted him “Most Likely to Succeed” (Wilson, 2014).

In 1981, he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. In UT Austin, he met his future wife, Cecilia Phalen, and they got married the same year. Later in life, they adopted their daughter, Audrey (Abbott, 2023). In 1984, he earned his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School (2014).

On July 14, 1984, as he was preparing to take the Texas bar exam, he and a friend decided to go for a jog as a break from studying. During their run, an oak tree damaged by a storm fell and struck Abbott. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Despite facing a significant challenge through no fault of his own, Abbott passed the bar the following year and began working in private practice at Butler & Binion, where he remained until 1992.

From 1993 to 1996, he embarked on his public service career as a state trial court judge in the 129th District Court in Harris County (Greg Abbott, n.d.). During this time, the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists named him “Trial Judge of the Year” (About Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, 2013).

In 1996, he was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by then-Governor George W. Bush. He successfully ran for reelection to this position twice—in 1996 and 1998. In 2001, he resigned to run for Texas attorney general. He became the 50th Texas attorney general and was reelected twice, becoming the longest-serving Texas attorney general (2002-2015). During his tenure, Abbott initiated a total of 34 lawsuits against the federal government (p. 115).

In 2014, Abbott successfully ran for governor and became the 48th governor of Texas on January 20, 2015, when he was sworn in. He was reelected in 2018 and 2022. His wife Cecilia became the first Hispanic First Lady of the state of Texas.

In going on to become a Texas Supreme Court justice, state attorney general, and now governor of Texas, I realized that our lives are not defined by how we are challenged. Instead, they are determined by how we respond to life’s challenges. (p. 110)

During his time as governor, Texas continued to attract more people and businesses from across the country and around the world, all looking for opportunities for success and a better, more affordable life. In 2024, Site Selection magazine gave the state the recognition of having the “Top Business Climate in America” for the 2nd year in a row (Texas Named Top Business Climate, 2024); Chief Executive Magazine has named Texas the “Best State for Business” for 20 years in a row (Texas Named Best State For Business, 2024). Texas also leads in job creation (Texas Leads Nation in Annual Job Creation, 2024) and is home to 3.2 million small businesses (Abbott, 2024, p. 3). These are just a few examples of the incredible success of the Lone Star State.

In 2024, Governor Greg Abbott was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people (Greg Abbott, 2024).

Greg Abbott’s story shows that with determination, grit, perseverance, hard work, and a positive attitude, one can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and accomplish one’s goals. Governor Abbott’s story is a true Texas story of achievement.

Values: Rule of Law, Independence, Texas & America, Faith & God, Family

Virtues: Hard Work, Determination, Grit, Perseverance, Can-Do Attitude, Gratitude, Humor

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Determination and Grit: “Broken But Unbowed”

Law Career and the Constitution: Rule of Law

Greg Abbott had set his mind on a law career.

His autobiography reflects a deep reverence for the Constitution and a strong respect for the rule of law: “The rule of law is what makes America unique” (p. 91). Throughout the book, he discusses his concerns that Americans no longer read or understand the Constitution, leading to major government accountability problems. He shares his vision for addressing the problems he sees, and his love for both his country and his state.

In 1984, after earning his Juris Doctor, Abbott was committed to passing the Texas Bar exam. A law firm in Houston had already hired him. The future he wanted to build with his wife was within reach.

His determination to pursue that career path was likely a significant factor in his overcoming the trauma from his accident and the disruption of his plans and life. In the dedication section of his book, he thanks his mother for “instill[ing] in me the drive and determination to never give up.” And give up, he did not.

As he was about to embark on a successful career and life with his wife Cecilia, everything changed in a second—his plans became uncertain, his confidence was shattered, and pain took over for weeks—along with surgeries and months of rehabilitation. He faced a new reality. However, give up, he did not.

While in the hospital, as soon as the pain became bearable, Abbott began to focus on how to get back to pursuing his life goals. He read and returned to his passion for Founding documents, notably the Declaration of Independence. The concept in the Declaration, he wrote, “that people have the power to declare their own independence … was exactly what I needed” (p. 24).

Just a year after his accident, Abbott successfully passed the bar exam. In just one year, he combined recovery, rehabilitation, and the learning necessary for a new way of living while also getting ready to pass the bar exam successfully.

You might remember from a previous article on grit how Angela Duckworth explained that high achievers possessed a combination of passion and perseverance.

Abbott’s drive to pursue his calling was more potent than what had happened to him. There was no stopping him—he wasn’t going to give up.

Focusing on Action, What He Could Control, and Not Letting Circumstances Take Over: Independence

In his autobiography, Abbott vividly recounts the second that changed his life, the fear it created, and the physical pain, doubt, and uncertainty for his future that ensued (pp. 6-14). For those who have not experienced something similar, it can be difficult to fully grasp the shock this must have caused.

However, the reader can witness the evolution of an eventually unyielding spirit: among the fear, uncertainty, and doubt, the first instinct, despite the crushing pain, is to focus on holding on—the only thing he can do while waiting for the doctors and medicine to improve his condition. “Life was distilled down to a fundamental focus: I simply needed to survive physically … another minute, one more minute” (p. 13).

Individuals go through distinct emotional stages when confronted with life-altering events, including denial or shock, frustration or anger, depression, acceptance, and finally, hopefully, commitment. Initially, Abbot expressed frustration at doctors’ assurance that he would not be able to walk again: “I was extremely upset, not only about the diagnosis, but also because of the clarity of the verdict” (p. 14). Then, the grieving process happened, and acceptance followed: “My focus became: ‘Okay, here’s the situation, this is what we need to do’” (p. 14). Eventually, Abbott decided not to focus on finding a way to walk again. “I had other battles to fight,” he wrote. “I had a choice. I could fight against that reality or I could begin devoting my energy toward the future. … I decided to accept my circumstance and do as much as possible with it” (p. 17)

Here again, we can see determination but also a focus on what he could control and a desire to reclaim his independence rather than wait for others to give it back to him. To quote him, he “was ready to roll” (p. 30).

I've gotten pretty good at popping wheelies, negotiating obstacles, and overcoming challenges in my wheelchair. It's second nature now, just like a person walking up steps without thinking about all the intricate motions involved. (p. 18)

Perseverance, Hard Work, and a Positive Mindset: “Yes, I Think I Can”

Return to Work: Independence

Abbott made a firm decision not to allow circumstances to alter his life to the extent of abandoning his dreams (p. 1). He moved forward instead. One way to reclaim his independence was to provide for himself and his family while pursuing the career he was interested in—his passion. So, he went to work for the law firm that had hired him before his accident and supported him throughout.

One of my favorite passages in the book is when he returns to work after his accident (p.26). The reason is that it illustrates a quintessential aspect of the American ethos: I can succeed by consistently working hard(er) and not giving up. Or, to put it another way: American work ethic and Texan grit. Not only that, but Abbott decided to redouble his efforts: He arrived before anyone else, left after everyone else, and saw his effort as a way to thank the law firm for helping him and his wife during his recovery.

Although I'd always been a hard worker, I suppose the fact that I began my law career in a wheelchair made me extra diligent. Everything from getting to the office to retrieving files just took more time. Besides that, I wanted to prove to the partners in the firm, and my peers, that they made the right decision in hiring and supporting me. (p. 34)

While these character traits, like muscle, might have developed further after his accident, he already possessed them, and he generally approached life with a can-do attitude. After all, he was a competitive runner and considered running under the Houston sun a “break” from studying (p. 3). Hard work was not something he saw as a necessary evil; on the contrary, he seemed to seek and enjoy it:

Whether it was athletics, mowing lawns in the summer, or hauling steel in a forge factory, I'd always felt a physical, mental, and emotional renewal from hard work. (p. 6)

Similarly, when he started rehabilitation, he described it as “finally, an opportunity to work out again!” (p. 15)

America and Texas: Independent and Sovereign

I believe Abbott told his story in good part to inspire readers to take action when they encounter problems. His positive attitude says, “I think I can”—and so can you (pp. 51-73). Surviving his accident, pursuing his dreams, achieving his goals, enforcing the rule of law—Abbott’s success is partly due to his belief that he can.

In addition, throughout the book, it is evident that he cares deeply about America and Texas, and that their history has inspired him.

The principle of charting a course to overcome challenges has permeated our country from its very beginning. It's the crux of our Declaration of Independence, which I read and reread during my hospital stay. (p. 110)

The next step after overcoming the challenges he faced was to help Americans and Texans overcome theirs as well.

His regained independence finds a parallel in the independence of the U.S. and Texas’ sovereignty.

Gratitude: “Surrounded by Extraordinary People”

Faith and Family

“[M]y commitment to God and to my family” are Abbott’s higher priorities (p. 174).

In his book, he highlights how his unwavering spirit and strength of character were paramount to his success, but it never sounds like self-congratulation. Rather, he shares his story to inspire his readers. Instead, he credits God’s Grace for helping him and his wife through difficult times (pp. 17; 174).

I've always felt a deep and abiding connection with God. I've never known what He had planned. But I did know it was my duty to try my best to follow Him. (p. 33)

Undoubtedly, Abbott found strength in his faith, which was likely a significant element supporting both his character and recovery.

He regularly refers to his mother, wife, and daughter, “whose love and support inspired me to overcome life’s challenges” (Dedication). Abbott also makes it very clear that his wife's support was integral to their shared achievements. He describes his wife as “strongest when she is offering support” (p. 25).

Whenever you see someone who has achieved some level of success, you often find they have been surrounded by extraordinary people. Whatever success I've had is due in large measure to the people around me, whether it was my supportive parents or a guiding scoutmaster, an inspiring coach or teacher, caring doctors and nurses, encouraging colleagues, my remarkable staff, or my loving wife. (p. 40)

Texans’ Friendliness

Finally, Abbott expresses gratitude toward the friendliness of Texans—a trait well-known to belong to those from the Lone Star State. For example, he and his wife were pleasantly surprised to find out that the management of their apartment complex had made their building accessible by wheelchair after his accident.

Although the law firm that had hired him before his accident could have terminated his contract since Abbott had not even started working when his accident happened, not only did they keep him on staff, put him on the payroll, and give him time to heal, but the firm’s lawyers also helped his wife navigate the healthcare system and support her the best they could in that time of trial (p. 16).

Amazingly, and testament to his character, Abbott never seemed to feel entitled to the help or sympathy he received. On the contrary, he consistently highlights acts of kindness and support through surprise and gratitude. Regarding his first employer, the law firm, he recognized that “they could’ve done without me” (p. 16); he clarifies that Cecilia’s always supporting him is “testament to her character, not my charm” (p. 25); and finally, he certainly does not forget to thank the doctors, surgeons, nurses, and rehabilitation specialists who helped him reclaim his independence.

I was reminded once again why I appreciate the Texas spirit—a special, and big, part of the American spirit. The assistance I received was just what I needed to regroup and focus. (p. 29)

Conclusion

Greg Abbott showed that with determination, grit, perseverance, hard work, and gratitude, you can overcome challenges and achieve your most ambitious goals. After successfully starting his career in private practice, he became a state trial court judge, then a Texas Supreme Court Justice, the longest-serving Texas attorney general, and the governor of Texas.

Perhaps his greatest achievement is best visible through a speech given by his daughter Audrey, who explained how much she admires her dad and how he “represents the real meaning of the word courage” to her (p. 244).

I haven’t had the privilege of meeting our state’s governor, but I have seen him talk in public many times. What always stood out to me was his positive, we-can-and-we-will attitude and his humor. His book provides several examples of the latter, including his Halloween costumes (p. 78) or his meeting President Obama just after filing a lawsuit against him while transitioning from attorney general to governor of Texas (pp. 86-89).

I sincerely hope that if you have read so far, you will read Governor Abbott’s book. There is much more in it than I could recount here; it is a truly inspirational story of Texas achievement.

My life was broken, but I remained unbowed. I fought through the pain because I believed restoration was possible. (p. 229)

Sources

Abbott, G. (2016). Broken But Unbowed: The Fight to Fix a Broken America. Threshold Editions.

Abbott, G. (2023, November 17). Gov. Abbott: Adoption has been a blessing for my family and many other Texans. Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/11/18/greg-abbott-adoption-blessing/

Abbott, G. (2024). 2024 Report to the People of Texas. Office of the Texas Governor. https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/2024_Report_to_the_People_of_Texas.pdf

About Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. (2013, 3 September). Attorney General of Texas. https://web.archive.org/web/20131017181451/https://www.oag.state.tx.us/agency/agga_bio.shtml

Greg Abbott. (n.d.). Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Greg_Abbott

Greg Abbott. (2024, April 17). Time Magazine. https://time.com/6965199/greg-abbott/

Texas Named Best State for Business for Record-Breaking 20th Year. (2024, April 24). Office of the Texas Governor. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-named-best-state-for-business-for-record-breaking-20th-year

Texas Named Top Business Climate in America for 2nd Year in a Row. (2024, November 1). Office of the Texas Governor. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-named-top-business-climate-in-america-for-2nd-year-in-a-row

Vanderbilt University Law School. (2014, November 5). Greg Abbott '84 elected governor of Texas. Vanderbilt University. https://law.vanderbilt.edu/greg-abbott-84-elected-governor-of-texas/

Wilson, R. (2014, October 30). The likely next governor of Texas is full of Lone Star swagger. Don’t be surprised if he runs for president. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/10/30/the-likely-next-governor-of-texas-is-full-of-lone-star-swagger-dont-be-surprised-if-he-runs-for-president/

At noon today, the 89th Texas Legislature will convene for the first day of the 89th regular legislative session. Members-elect will be sworn in, and the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate will be elected by the members of their respective chambers.

It is a good occasion to talk about our state Capitol since it is the seat of the Legislature, it is beloved by Texans—including myself—and the twists and turns that accompanied the different buildings and the construction, fire, and renovation of the current building make for a good story of achievement.

In addition, as I have explained elsewhere, part of this publication will look at what makes Texas conducive to achievement, and public policy (please see disclaimer here) is an important part. January will have a bit more of that theme in the posts before we go back to discussing business and individual achievements stories, as well as the values and virtues that make them happen.

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The State of Texas’ First Legislature

On March 1, 1845, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution to provide for the annexation of Texas (Joint Resolution, n.d.).

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress doth consent that the territory properly included within, and rightfully belonging to the Republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the State of Texas, with a republican form of government, to be adopted by the people of said republic, by deputies in convention assembled, with the consent of the existing government, in order that the same may be admitted as one of the States of this Union.

The resolution required Texas to cede to the United States “all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and navy-yards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defence” but allowed Texas to keep its public lands as well as its public debt. “In no event,” the resolution stated, “are said debts and liabilities to become a charge upon the Government of the United States.” Finally, the resolution also gave the future new state of Texas the right to divide itself into five states: “New States, of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the federal constitution.” (A novel has been written around the latter: Power Exchange by Alan Erwin.)

Then-president (the last) of the Republic of Texas Anson Jones called a Convention that met on July 4 of 1845. The Convention considered and accepted the proposal for annexation and worked to write a constitution for the new state of Texas until August 27 of that year (Texas Legislative Council, 1975). In October 1845, Texans voted to accept both the annexation and the new constitution (Texas Legislative Council, 1975; Carefoot, 1997). In turn, Congress passed a joint resolution to admit Texas into the Union and to accept its state constitution, which was signed by President James K. Polk on December 29, 1845. That date marks when the United States officially joined Texas welcomed Texas into the Union (Carefoot, 1997). The transfer of government happened on February 19, 1846.

J. Pinckney Henderson was elected as the first governor of the state of Texas—from February 19, 1846, to December 21, 1847 (Governors of Texas, n.d.; J. Pinckney Henderson, n.d.). Albert Clinton Horton was the first lieutenant governor, and William E. Crump was the first speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. The First Texas Legislature convened between February 16, 1846, and May 13, 1846, and gathered 20 senators and 66 representatives (May, 2024). The first constitution provided that Legislators’ “compensation was fixed for the first legislature at $3.00 a day with a mileage allowance of $3.00 for each twenty-five miles of travel to and from the Capitol. While the legislature was allowed to change the compensation, any increase was not to become effective until after an intervening election. Neither regular sessions, which were biennial, nor special sessions called by the governor were limited in duration. The date and hour of legislative sessions were determined by legislation” (May, 2024).

The Texas Legislature Today

Today, the Texas Legislature is constituted of 31 senators and 150 representatives. It meets every two years in odd-numbered years (only four states, including Texas, have a biennial legislature; 2025 State Legislative Sessions, n.d.) and first convenes at noon on the 2nd Tuesday in January and lasts 140 calendar days (weekends and holidays are calendar days). Between two regular sessions (also called the interim), the governor can call one or several special sessions that cover specific topics. Special sessions only last up to 30 days (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, n.d.).

Texas state legislators currently receive an annual salary of $7,200 ($600 per month), as well as a $221 per diem for each day of a regular or special session of the Legislature. They are also entitled to mileage reimbursement in cents per mile traveled (Texas Constitution, Article 3: Legislative Department, Section 24; 2024 Legislator Compensation, 2024; Commission Rules, n.d.). According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “In 2024, the average annual base salary for a state legislator was $44,320” (2024 Legislator Compensation, 2024), or more than six times higher than for Texas legislators.

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Brief History of the Texas Capitol Building

The current Texas state Capitol is not the first Capitol building that Texas—republic and state—had. Some historians argue that the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the interim government formed in Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1836 should be considered the first Capitol (Texas Legislative Council, 1975; Hardeman, 2020). The Republic and the state of Texas changed their capital quite a bit (Johnson, 1952/2019). Even after Waterloo, which would be renamed Austin, was chosen in 1839, it took several decades for the matter to be fully settled in 1872 (Waterloo Approved, n.d.). All this is to say that the government's seat has also changed.

In 1839, the Texas Congress (under the Republic of Texas) convened in Austin in a “one-story frame structure, located near the present-day intersection of Colorado and 8th Streets, [which] served as the first Capitol in Austin” (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, p. 18) In 1853, a new building called the Old Stone Capitol became the statehouse for more than two decades.

But in the 1870s, as the population grew rapidly (10,000 inhabitants, y’all!), legislators wanted a bigger, more impressive statehouse. But at the time, Texas did not have the kind of surpluses such as the one announced yesterday (Johnson, 2024), so the legislators opted to pay for a new Capitol with public lands (pp. 18-21). In 1879, the 16th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 21 (1879), which provided for the designation, surveying, and sale of three million and fifty thousand acres of the unappropriated public domain, and Senate Bill 153 (1879), which provided for the building of the new state Capitol.

The search for an architect began, and the work on plans and choosing material was underway when the Old Stone Capitol burned to the ground on November 9, 1881 (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, p. 21). A temporary building was built, for which $50,000 was appropriated. According to the Texas Legislative Council, “At one point, a rainstorm caused the collapse of the partially completed temporary Capitol, but work was resumed immediately and the building was accepted on January 15, 1883, with a balance of $494.96 of the appropriation remaining” (p. 24).

Two Capitol Board commissioners broke ground in 1882, but construction of the permanent Capitol began in 1883 (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, p. 24).

The building is located on a commanding elevation, near the city of Austin, in the square originally selected for the Capitol of the Republic of Texas. The style of architecture is classic, with modern treatment, the outlines being sufficiently broken to give stately appearance and to secure proper contrasts of light and shade. The various combinations of scientific principle are employed to combine that simplicity, harmony and grandeur which alone is approved by cultured taste. (pp. 24-25)

Limestones from Oatmanville weighing up to 25 tons each had been selected to build the Capitol, but upon delivery, it was discovered that “the Oatmanville limestone was unstable in color and that exposure to the weather would cause the stone to develop rust-colored streaks, leaving it unfit for surface work” (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, pp. 24-26). In the end, red granite donated by the owners of Granite Mountain in Burnet County was used (p. 28).

In February 1888, the Goddess of Liberty was created out of 80 pieces of zinc and put on top of the dome (Capitol History, n.d.).

The new Texas state Capitol was dedicated and opened to the public on May 16, 1888 (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, p. 33).

More than 20,000 people attended the dedication (Capitol History, n.d.).

The building was finally accepted by the Capitol Board on December 8, 1888, 6 years and 10 months after construction had begun, and on January 15, 1889. (Texas Legislative Council, 2016, p. 33)

Less than a century later, in 1983, a fire started in the east wing that damaged both the Capitol and the Goddess of Liberty (Capitol Restoration, n.d.). In 1986, the statue was removed and replaced with an aluminum replica (the original statue can be seen at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin).

In 1983, the 68th Legislature created the State Preservation Board, whose goal was to “restore, preserve and maintain the Capitol, Capitol Grounds and the Old General Land Office” (Capitol Restoration, n.d.). In 1989, the board recommended building an underground extension to the building, whose construction started in 1990. Restoration of the original building started in 1991. The Capitol extension opened in 1993, and the restoration was completed in 1995.

Perseverance, Resilience, and Ingenuity

It seems fair to say that the beautiful Texas state Capitol, a building that Texans, the author included, adore, is an achievement of perseverance, resilience, and ingenuity—coming from Texas state legislators, Texans, architects, and all workers who worked on the different buildings (I did skip the labor union boycott and other twists and turns for the sake of keeping this article relatively short). The Capitol also represents the historical achievements of Texas and Texans—their fight for independence and freedom, and the state’s success.

The Texas Capitol continues to host those who will influence the direction of the state and who will pass policies that, we hope, will continue to make Texas the best state for achievers.

*Capitol Dedication speech, May 16, 1888.

Cited Sources

2024 Legislator Compensation. (2024, August 14). National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/2024-legislator-compensation

2025 State Legislative Sessions Calendar. (n.d.). Quorum. Retrieved January 12, 2025, https://www.quorum.us/info/state-legislative-sessions-calendar/

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Texas Legislature. (n.d.). Legislative Reference Library to Texas. Retrieved January 12, 2025, https://lrl.texas.gov/genInfo/FAQ.cfm

Capitol History: 1839 – 1888. (n.d.). State Preservation Board. Retrieved January 12, 2025, https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tc/tc-history/history/index.html

Capitol Restoration and Expansion: 1980 – 1995. (n.d.). State Preservation Board. Retrieved January 12, 2025, https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tc/tc-history/restoration/index.html

Carefoot, J. (1997). Narrative History of Texas Annexation. Texas State Library and Archives Commission. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/annexation/index.html

Commission Rules: Chapter 50. Legislative Salaries and Per Diem. (n.d.). Texas Ethics Commission. Retrieved January 12, 2025, https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/rules/commission/ch50.php

Erwin, Alan R. (1979). The Power Exchange: A Novel of Texas Secession. Texas Monthly Press. https://www.amazon.com/power-exchange-novel-Alan-Erwin/dp/0932012086

Governors of Texas, 1846 – Present. (n.d.). Legislative Reference Library to Texas. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/governors/govBrowse.cfm

Hardeman, L. (2020, December 8). What were the 8 Capitals of Texas before Austin? Texas Proud. https://texasproud.com/first-capitols-of-texas/

J. Pinckney Henderson. (n.d.). Legislative Reference Library to Texas. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/governors/govPage.cfm?governorID=1

Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States Approved March 1, 1845. (n.d.). Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/annexation/march1845.html

Johnson, B. (2025, January 13). Texas Comptroller Projects $23.8 Billion Treasury Surplus Ahead of 89th Legislative Session. The Texan. https://thetexan.news/issues/texas-taxes-spending/texas-comptroller-projects-23-8-billion-treasury-surplus-ahead-of-89th-legislative-session/article_9a8d337e-d1c2-11ef-9e52-abcfa01faa16.html

Johnson, J. G. (1952/2019). Handbook of Texas: Capitals. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/capitals

May, J. C. (2024, March 8). Handbook of Texas: Texas Legislature. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-legislature

Senate Bill 21. 16th Texas Legislature. (1879). https://lrl.texas.gov/legis/billsearch/billdetails.cfm?billFileID=269832&from=advancedsearch

Senate Bill 153. 16th Texas Legislature. (1879). https://lrl.texas.gov/legis/billsearch/billdetails.cfm?billFileID=269868&from=advancedsearch

Texas Constitution, Article 3: Legislative Department, Section 24. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CN/htm/CN.3/CN.3.24.htm

Texas Legislative Council. (1975). The Texas Capitol: Symbol of Achievement. Texas Legislative Council.

Texas Legislative Council. (2016). The Texas Capitol: A History of the Lone Star Statehouse. Texas Legislative Council. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth902948/

Waterloo Approved as New Capital of Texas. (n.d.). Texas Day by Day, Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://www.tshaonline.org/texas-day-by-day/entry/826

Additional Sources

Capitol Building Dedication Ceremony: Excerpts from Senator Temple Houston's Acceptance Speech May 16, 1888. (n.d.). TexasBob.com. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://texasbob.com/txdoc/texdoc13.html.

Goddess of Liberty: Crowning the dome of the Texas State Capitol. (n.d.). Bullock Texas State History Museum. Retrieved January 12, 2025, from https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/texas-state-capitol/goddess-liberty

Texas Legislative Reference Library. (2018, May 8). Legislative Foundations for the Capitol. https://lrl.texas.gov/whatsNew/client/index.cfm/2018/5/8/Legislative-Foundations-for-the-Capitol

I hope y’all had a lovely Christmas, and I’m sending everyone my best wishes for a successful 2025, filled with the values you are trying to achieve. Thank you to all of you who subscribed to Achievement, Texas, in 2024 or even just stopped by this publication—know that I appreciate each and every one of you.

Grit seemed to be the perfect virtue to discuss to transition between 2024 and 2025.

How was your 2024?

I know a couple of folks—and have read posts here and there from others—for whom 2024 wasn’t a great year. Mine sure tested me in different ways, but, as a result, it provided invaluable life lessons (you’re never too old for these!), helping me grow along the way. I also started new endeavors, including this publication. The past year did require of me that I develop grit in different ways than I had before. A mix of highs and lows slowed me down at times, but overall, I am thankful for the lessons, which I continue to reflect on.

I’m sure you’ve seen the iceberg representation of success before:

This is a good way to show what is actually needed to achieve success in your undertakings—a much more complex and bumpy process than just the result or what other people see.

Here’s another good way to represent the steps that lead to the finish line:

Grit is necessary to persevere and go through all that to eventually reach the top.

Grit is a virtue that I cannot imagine Texans without—building this state to what it has become today required tremendous endurance and perseverance from Tejanos and Texians as they braved a hostile environment and built from scratch, but also for Texans who looked for and discovered oil and those who built and continue to build the fantastic economy Texans can now be proud of.

Did you know that the bison, once native to Texas, faces a storm head-on? This behavior is a powerful metaphor for grit. Rather than letting themselves drift with a storm or waiting in place for it to pass, bison walk head-on into the storm to get out of it sooner rather than later. I like this attitude.

I have been reading a lot about Navy SEALs the past year (more on this here in future articles). The training these young men and women go through, part of which is appropriately called “Hell Week,” helps ensure they can be the elite warriors they will have to be on the battlefield. Although I cannot imagine withstanding this training for more than a couple hours, much less a week, that inspired me tremendously. There are many lessons on virtues and leadership to be learned from this special forces unit.

In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth talks about the training West Point cadets go through (known as the “Beast”—can you see a pattern in the training names?):

One cadet’s description of Beast: “You are challenged in a variety of ways in every developmental area—mentally, physically, militarily, and socially. The system will find your weaknesses, but that's the point—West Point toughens you.” (p. 5)

Staying within your comfort zone and easy success rarely help you grow. However, you can often learn a lot about yourself and in general from what life throws at you along the way. Grit allows you to get up after you’ve fallen down, persevere, and see the end of the tunnel or the peak of the mountain as you strive to reach them.

Duckworth sums up what those who succeed have in common as follows:

In sum, no matter the domain, the highly successful had a kind of ferocious determination that played out in two ways. First, these exemplars were unusually resilient and hardworking. Second, they knew in a very, very deep way what it was they wanted. They not only had determination, they had direction.

It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit. (p. 8)

Or, to quote philosopher Ayn Rand,

Well, I always know what I want. And when you know what you want—you go toward it. Sometimes you go very fast, and sometimes only an inch a year. Perhaps you feel happier when you go fast. I don't know. I've forgotten the difference long ago, because it really doesn't matter, so long as you move. (We The Living.)

Grit will carry you through disappointment, failures, and life’s hardships. Like a muscle, the more consistently you use it, the more it grows and develops. “Grit,” Duckworth explains, “is more about stamina than intensity” (p. 53). Your grit manifests “how well you're currently able to persevere in the face of life's rejection slips” (p. 78).

It is, however, important to remember that letting go of something that does not work does not mean you lack grit and are abandoning the high-level value you’re seeking. Think about your GPS: You’re entering your destination, and it tells you how to get there. But if you miss an exit, what happens? The GPS doesn’t tell you, “Ah, you made a mistake, game over. You’re never getting where you want to go.” No, it displays a message such as “recalculating” and then offers another way to get where you want to go. If the path you are on is not the one that leads to your destination, the sooner you realize it, the sooner you can correct course and redirect your energy—and grit—toward that higher value. As a reminder, like for muscles, rest is also necessary to recharge and grow in the process (ask me how I know).

In future articles, we'll discuss grit in the context of how Texas was built, and how Texan achievers used it. In the meantime, as an example, here’s a picture of my cat Kitshka using grit to get my attention 🙃

I want to add an element I don’t remember Duckworth mentioning in her book (please correct me if I’m wrong): Grit works even better with gratitude.

A lot (most, if not everyone) of us will go through hardships in life. When it is dark, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and as a result, we tend to have defeatist thoughts. In these moments, part of what reactivates grit is remembering our past successes and achievements—or how far we’ve come—and being appreciative of that—just because that room we’re currently in is dark does not mean that the sun isn’t shining outside. There’s a lovely song by Christian Country singer Anne Wilson on that theme, Rain in the Rearview:

When the storm rolls in and the sky won't quit crying
And you've lost more tears than you thought you could ever lose
Oh, I swear somewhere out there, the sun is somewhere shining
So, drive, baby, drive, baby, drive 'til it shines on you
And leave the rain in the rearview

Or, to go back to Duckworth’s Grit, it’s looking forward, not backward:

“It's a persistent desire to do better. It's the opposite of being complacent. But it's a positive state of mind, not a negative one. It's not looking backward with dissatisfaction. It's looking forward and wanting to grow.” —Hester Lacey,
quoted in Grit, p. 118.

How did your grit help you move forward in 2024? Share in the comments! 👇

Here’s to a gritty, value-driven year 2025!

* Quote by Angela Duckworth from Facebook here. All page numbers refer to Angela’s Duckworth paperback copy of Grit.

Americans who chose to come to Texas in the 1820s when it was still under Spanish and then Mexican rule dreamed of starting a new life where they would own land and could prosper through the fruit of their hard work and ingenuity. They sought to be self-reliant and responsible for their own life and happiness as well as their families’.

And Texas promised all that and more. While surveying the land to find the best place to establish the DeWitt colony, James Kerr found the junction of the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers to be perfect:

the beauty of the country, its rich lands and abundant water supply made the place a very suitable one for [the colony’s] purpose. (Rather, 1905, p. 8)

However, the only Americans west of the Colorado River at the time, and other American colonists to Texas, did not choose the easiest dream to follow. The first cabins of what would become Gonzales were built in 1825. As early as 1826, Gonzales was attacked by Indians, and at least one man was killed and scalped; the other inhabitants fled the town, moving east. It wouldn’t be until 1927 that people started returning to Gonzales (Rather, 1905, p. 8).

The Americans establishing in Texas had to “swear to uphold the federal [Mexican] and state constitutions and to observe the Roman Catholic religion” and were promised “in return [that] the laws guaranteed the security of [their] person[s] and property and permitted [them] to engage in any honest pursuit for the first ten years. [In addition,] the new settlements were to be exempt from all taxes except such as might be levied to repel foreign invasion” (Rather, 1905, p. 5).

Yet, obtaining protection from the Mexican government proved challenging, to say the least. Empresario Green DeWitt asked for Mexican troops to protect the colony, but despite repeated calls for security, the years passed, and no garrison came. In 1829, DeWitt finally convinced the Mexicans to send troops by claiming that contraband was going through the territory. Alas, the troops did not stay long and were quickly called back to Béjar (Rather, 1905, p. 42).

DeWitt continued to ask for troops in 1830 and 1831, and he also asked for a cannon—the “Come and Take It” cannon, but this is for another post. The Mexicans had an unmounted cannon in Béjar that they were willing to lend to the DeWitt colony. Troops were also sent but were again quickly withdrawn after attacks.

Ethel Zivley Rather, who recounted the founding and development of the DeWitt colony, commented:

The difficulty the colonists had in obtaining help from the government was so that they probably never asked for it again. (p. 43)

As an American, the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “independence” is the Founding of our country, the United States of America, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and the fight against a government imposing on us duties with no option to refuse—or without representation.

As a Texan, “independence” reminds us of the Texians’ fight against a tyrannical and cruel Santa Anna and the Alamo (not necessarily in that order).

In both cases, independence conveys the image of a sovereign country whose citizens fought against tyranny and to be able to govern themselves.

That last part is crucial, and the Gonzales story illustrates how independence implies other values and certain virtues: freedom, self-governance, self-reliance, and personal responsibility for one’s life and to one’s personal development, rather than submission or acceptance of defeat.

Conditions on the Frontier and in Texas were harsh, and those who decided to live and start a family there had to possess a healthy dose of self-reliance, determination, and resilience. Members of colonies and communities did help each other, but beyond that, they had to rely on themselves and had to be prepared, in some cases, to stand up to attacks alone, like the first colonists in Gonzales who succumbed to an Indian attack while most of their community was away.

Even in the absence of conflicts with Indian tribes, the environment was brutal and nature hostile—they still are, but we have developed ways to cope. Americans and Texans yearned for independence, but they also possessed the virtues (or adapted to develop them) that made this independence possible. Their values and virtues are still part of the American and Texan characters and psyches today.

Independence is a particularly cherished value in Texas, which has been its own Republic. Texans love America, but they also do their own thing. Texas is Texas.

Texans stand for their values, work hard to achieve them, and as a result are extremely proud of what their state has accomplished.

As I resume posting here today, my fellow Americans all know (I hope) that this is Election Day. I did not intend for this post to go out specifically today. This is a long-overdue yet relatively short article to signal that Achievement, TX, is back. It also touches on several values and virtues that made Texas, Texas, and America, America. So I guess it is perfect, if not initially intended, timing. Upcoming posts and stories of achievement will touch on these values and virtues in more detail.

Thank you if you are still reading this! Please stay tuned. More to come soon.

Sources

Rather, E. Z. (1905). De Witt's colony. The University of Texas.

Roell, C. H. (1952). DeWitt's colony. Texas State Historical Association.

Paul Neal Adair, known as Red Adair, was a larger-than-life figure in the oil and gas industry. His work was not only daring and heroic but also crucial to the functioning of the industry. He was a pioneer in the field of oil well firefighting, a profession that emerged in response to the inherent dangers of drilling for oil and gas. Adair's fearless approach and innovative techniques saved the industry, insurance companies, and ultimately consumers millions of dollars by tackling nearly 3,000 wild wells and extinguishing dangerous and costly well fires.

A wild well or oil well blowout is “a well that has blown out of control and from which oil, water, or gas is escaping with great force to the surface” (Oil and Gas Field Technical Terms Glossary) and which escape “is not intended and cannot be controlled by equipment used in normal drilling practice” (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §127.001(5)).

Uncontrolled oil wells are hazardous as they can cause severe injuries to those around them—workers and the population—and a single spark can light a fire that can burn for days or months, causing further damage to the well, the site, and the environment. The fire can reach such high temperatures that it becomes incredibly challenging and risky to fight it.

Philip Singerman, the author of Adair’s authorized biography, describes oil well blowouts vividly in his book and the terror they generate in otherwise strong, courageous men:

First came the scream of escaping gas, a piercing, paralyzing scream, the scream of a thousand nightmares, as terrifying as the roar of an angry jungle cat six feet from your tent. It was a scream that turned the world around it into nothing but sound, ripping through a man’s nervous system, riveting him to his boots, pinning him to his mattress, sucking the breath from his lungs. Hear it once and you’ll never rest easy on a drilling rig again—if you’re lucky enough to be alive for another chance. (p. 3)

The story of Red Adair is the rags-to-riches story of a little Texan boy who wanted to “do something big” with his life and who succeeded through the sheer force of will after facing poverty and several setbacks.

Red Adair was born in Houston, Texas, on June 18, 1915. He had four brothers and three sisters. His father was a blacksmith who lost his shop during the Great Depression. The family was very poor, and Red’s mother was often sick. When he was 6, Red and his twin sisters were sent to an orphanage while their mother was recuperating from TB and their older sister was taking care of their brothers. There, he learned how to fight to defend himself against school bullies.

As a teenager, he participated in organized fights with boxers much stronger than he was to be able to make some extra money—and he won, notably refusing to give up, even after his opponent broke his jaw once, because he needed the money so badly (Singerman, p. 31). His biographer reports that he was always hungry and rarely had enough to eat (pp. 77, 87, 91, 98-99, 102, 107).

From an early age, Red harbored dreams of achieving something significant. He aspired to attend college, play football, and become a football coach. However, at the age of 14, he was forced to drop out of high school to support his family after his father lost his shop. Despite this setback, Red's determination remained unshaken.

He started as a delivery boy for drugstores and worked hard, including by regularly fixing an old, rusty bike he acquired for a dollar to be able to make deliveries. One day, though, another boy showed up at the drugstore and got his job because he had a brand new bike that wouldn’t break constantly like Red’s.

At the age of 6, Red witnessed his first well fire and was immediately captivated. His first job in the oil industry wouldn't come until 1938. In 1941, he began working for Myron Kinley on a per-job basis. Kinley, the recognized expert in fighting oil well fires at the time, saw Adair's talent and passion and hired him full-time in 1946. This was the beginning of a career that would see Adair facing dangerous situations with unwavering courage.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Adair was determined to serve his country and attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army. However, he was rejected due to a hernia. Undeterred, he tried again and, this time, was told that he would be accepted if he underwent surgery, so he did. His resilience in the face of rejection was a testament to his determination.

In 1959, Adair founded the Red Adair Company with just $10,000 (Singerman, p. 250). One of the company's distinctive features was that almost everything was red, including the red coveralls he and his team wore at work sites. His office also had a red chair, a red phone, and a red carpet (Haselburst, p. 13).

Adair faced his first oil well blowout in 1940 in Smackover, Arkansas. Throughout his career, he traveled around the world to fight wild wells, including in countries where revolutions were taking place or with extreme weather conditions.

Adair faced one of his most formidable wild wells in the Sahara Desert in Algeria in the early 1960s, and that’s when his name began to gain international recognition. The well fire was nicknamed the “Devil’s Cigarette Lighter” after it created a flame of more than 700 feet that John Glenn said he could see from space.

In the late 1970s, in Canada, Adair worked on a blowout of poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas with the outside temperature at 50 degrees Fahrenheit below zero.

In 1988, at 73, he was called to help after the Piper Alpha offshore platform caught fire and became the worst oil disaster in the history of the North Sea.

In the 1990s, Adair and his team were among 27 teams sent to Kuwait to help extinguish oil wells set on fire by the Iraqis. Over 700 oil well fires had created a “cloud of poisonous gas … two miles high and stretched out for 450 miles. … Every day, six million barrels of oil went up in smoke” (Haselburst, p. 41; Knight). Adair and his team extinguished 117 well fires in just five months, while it had been estimated that it would take 3 to 5 years to do (Haselburst, p. 45).

Adair sold his company in 1993 and became a consultant.

He died on August 7, 2004, 20 years ago, at the age of 89.

His language was sometimes colorful. He wasn’t perfect (but who is?). His early years living in poverty, then the job he lost at the drugstore, and how hard it was for him to finally find one in the oil patch seem to have had a strong effect on him, adding to an already strong work ethic and desire to succeed. Once he started earning a lot of money, he bought luxury cars for himself and his wife Kemmie, as well as racing cars and, later, racing boats.

Reading in detail about the well fires Adair fought, the temperatures, the risks, the melting shoes, hats, car tires, etc., it is hard not to think of hell—both figuratively and literally—and hell he fought and defeated.

The little boy from Houston did something pretty unique with his life.

Values: Innovation, Safety, Ambition, Competitiveness, Leadership, Generosity.

Virtues: Growth mindset, Perseverance, Meticulousness, Grit, Hard Work, Favoring Taking Action, Determination, Confidence, Merit, Humility, Loyalty.

[Note: This article has been difficult to write and took me way more time than I expected for several reasons that I will not list here. I still hope it will give you a good overview of Adair's achievement and hopefully satisfactorily pay homage to it. As always, feedback is welcome.]

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Innovation: Making the Oil Patch Safer

Two recurrent values in Adair’s story that go hand in hand are innovation and safety. Adair's innovative approach to improving safety in the oil industry is truly inspiring. He was always thinking of ways to make his and his team’s work more efficient, easier, and safer. To accomplish this, he needed a growth mindset, knowing to seize every opportunity to learn and improve, and being extraordinarily meticulous and persistent. Throughout his career, he invented and built many tools that his industry would then use. He carefully studied each well before drawing a plan of attack, and he wanted to ensure that the equipment he and his team used worked perfectly, for safety’s sake.

When he was a little kid, he witnessed his first oil well fire from afar. Older kids explained to him that these kinds of fires sometimes couldn’t be extinguished. He immediately insisted that he would be able to do it and came up with an idea—an early version of the Athey wagon (Singerman, p. 73).

In the early days of oil-well firefighting, when Myron Kinley, who became Adair’s mentor, started working, there was no proper protective clothing or safety measures to protect firefighters working in the oil patch adequately. The use of explosives to extinguish well fires had also not been perfected. Adair changed all that:

Through his company, Red developed modern wild-well control guidelines and safety rules. He pioneered the use of semisubmersible firefighting vessels to fight wild wells out in the ocean. The cranes and over tools that Red developed are considered to be the best in the business. All can be adapted to suit specific kinds of fire, and all are designed to protect the people who are facing the fires. (Haselburst, p. 15)

Adair developed and perfected the “Athey wagon,” a crane operated with a bulldozer and a very long boom, which could be used to remove the debris after a blowout and place explosives more precisely. The bulldozer was equipped with a heat shield to protect the driver. Singerman described how Adair worked on the Athey wagon:

Red first built one on a job in 1941 when the rig hands at a well fire told him there was no way to get near the blazing wellhead to remove a twisted valve. Red spied a two-wheeled wagon on the location, got a length of drill pipe and a large hook, and had a welder mount the pipe on the wagon and the hook on the end of the pipe. Pushing the wagon by hand, he then worked his way up to the wellhead and basically went fishing until he snagged the valve. Over the years, Red refined his original design considerably, substituting wheels for tracks and adding remote controls that allow a dozer operator to maneuver the boom and the hook from his seat atop the Cat, but the driver still has his hands full. (p. 208)

His attention to detail and, to some extent, his sometimes controlling attitude probably saved his and others’ lives many times. The only time he was hurt to the point of being hospitalized was when he trusted a worker who proved to be inebriated from the previous night.

His plans of action always came with a way out, a testament to his meticulous planning and commitment to safety:

On the “Devil’s Cigarette Lighter” site, he asked the oilman driving the car to take him and two engineers closer to the site to get so close that the other passengers became uncomfortably fearful. But he didn’t want to leave anything to chance:

“Closer,” Adair hollered, flicking an index finger in the direction of the well as though he were casting for trout. “Jesus Christ, Red,” screamed the oilman, gripping the steering wheel that was now humming in tune with the floorboards, “we can see the bastard from right here just fine.” “I want a closer look,” Adair yelled. “I want to know what I’m dealing with.” (Singerman, p. 30)

“Those who only knew of Red Adair often thought of him as a daredevil, but those who worked with him knew different,” Singerman explained. “Red was extremely careful and would never jeopardize the safety of his men” (p. 63).

In the early 1940s, Adair and Kinley also worked on better using directional explosives to extinguish well fires with more precision. Adair didn’t stop there. He created ‘shaped charges’ that were called ‘flying saucers’ “to orchestrate enormous detonations with surgical precision” (Singerman, p. 166).

Ambition and Competitiveness: Rage de Vivre (Zeal for Living)

As I read about Red Adair’s story, a French expression came to mind: “la rage de vivre”—literally “a rage/zeal for living.” This phrase encapsulates Adair's relentless determination and resilience. It signifies his fierce passion for life, his refusal to be defeated by circumstances, and his unwavering commitment to the job at hand. Born into an impoverished family, he faced several setbacks, which only increased his grit. But his circumstances alone did not create it. At a young age, he had set his mind on “doing something big” and even had a plan (going to college and becoming a football coach).

Throughout his life experiences, including growing up poor and hungry, having to drop out of school to work to help support his family, losing jobs, quitting unfulfilling ones without another one lined up, and, of course, fighting hell on earth, his main traits of character helped him sustain his ambition and win. He was an incredibly hard worker. He always had a plan but favored action over talk. He was confident he could make it and determined to do so. And he did.

He remembered seeing the glowing sky then, before anyone had known who he was, or anyone except himself had known what he could do. Young as he was he had known even then he would do something—something big—something more than what he saw around him in the tiny houses, on the dirt streets, on the edge of Houston. (Singerman, p. 70)

Red Adair's journey was not without its share of setbacks. However, what set him apart was his ability to learn from these experiences. On two occasions, he showed a willingness to take responsibility for his mistakes and learn from them. This resilience and determination to grow from adversity is a powerful lesson.

As a delivery boy, he needed a bike to make deliveries for the drugstore he worked at. He found an old one he was able to buy for one dollar. The bike was so rusted that it continually broke. One day, as Adair came back to the drugstore late and covered with grease after repairing the bike, he was told that his job had been given to someone else who had “a brand new bike” and would hence be able to make the deliveries faster: “Red stared impassively at the owner. Inside he was furious, hurt, and embarrassed, but he would show no emotion. He turned and left the store” (Singerman, pp. 95-96).

Before finding a way to work in the oil industry, he found work at a railroad shop, where most of his job consisted of cleaning the machinery. He was well-paid, but after some time, “there was nothing new about his job, and as the years went by, the sameness of the days began to gnaw at him” (Singerman, p. 109). So, he decided to quit—without finding another job first but knowing that if he wanted to do something with his life, he couldn’t simply wait for a better opportunity. He had to actively seek his chance to work in the oil field.

Once he started working in the oil patch, Adair continued to show determination and grit and never let a wild well get the best of him. In 1941, he was thrown into the air more than 75 feet and landed back on his feet. He is said to have commented: “Wow, that was some ride!” (Haselburst, p. 18)

He was always determined to “beat the wild well.” He would get as close to the well as possible—and sometimes it meant so close that his shoe soles would start melting (Singerman, p. 52)—to figure out exactly what was going on in order to come up with the best plan:

He was such an incredibly hard worker that even after the few times he was injured, he got back to work quickly. In 1978, while working on the Canadian hydrogen sulfide gas well blowout, his air tank was punctured, and he had to be dragged away from the well (the smell is eventually lethal). He returned to work the following day (Haselburst, pp. 33-34).

Adair beat poverty, too. His expertise and reputation for excellence and effectiveness in a job whose results were unpredictable allowed him to be well-paid, “sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single job, and occasionally over a million” (Singerman, p. 15). This success was not handed to him but resulted from his unwavering determination and incredibly hard work. He became so good that, except for the rare times when he would be waiting for a job, more often than not, he was going from one job to another, sometimes leaving one side of the world one night to start a new job on the other side the other. Singerman described Adair in such a situation as “running on pure adrenaline, ready to operate for weeks now on no more than four hours of sleep a night” (p. 46).

Red Adair's competitiveness was not just about winning but about his eagerness to face challenges head-on and solve problems with action: “He thrived on hard work, on the rush of facing off against a burning well and the challenge of defeating it and had spent a lifetime proving himself by doing something, not talking about it” (Singerman, p. 16).

Adair quickly understood that every job was an opportunity to learn, that he would likely be able to use later to his advantage. When he first started in the oil patch, he stayed after hours to disassemble, clean, and study the pieces of machinery and take meticulous notes on their use. Later, on jobs, he got as near to a fire as possible—on foot, by car, or by helicopter—to look closely at the situation and often sketch what it looked like and his action plan.

Leadership: Showing the Way

Leadership is not mentioned anywhere related to Adair, but it represents several traits and attitudes that Adair exemplified.

When he faced the Devil’s Cigarette Lighter, as if the fire itself wasn’t enough, the men working on extinguishing it were of different nationalities. They tended not to get along very well because of Algeria’s history and geopolitics. So Adair gathered everyone before they started working on the well to give them a unifying message, asking them to set their differences aside in order to beat the common enemy that was the well fire (Singerman, pp. 54-55).

Adair was fearless, loved a challenge, and was always eager to take on new burning wells, especially since not a single well had resisted him. He explained that many considered him a daredevil, but he was anything but. His fearlessness, coupled with meticulous preparation and plans to take on wild wells, denoted a calculated risk approach. This fearlessness is not just inspiring, but also a key aspect of his leadership style.

On his flight to Piper Alpha in the North Sea, a flight attendant asked him, “Are you ever afraid?” He answered, “No, never afraid, just very careful” (Singerman, p. 25).

He was confident that he could do the jobs he was asked to do yet humble in the sense that he was always learning and always prepared. He wasn’t bragging; he just knew what he could accomplish. According to Singerman, he was uncomfortable talking about his accomplishments and spoke about himself in the second person (p. 26).

Arguably, it is hard to be a leader when the stakes are so high. Good leadership implies letting your people do their job after setting the expectations and being there in support rather than in action. But oil well firefighting is—and was even more then—a dangerous job, with unpredictable situations, and where human error costs lives. Fearlessness and confidence based on meticulous preparation enabled him to lead by example: “You don’t fear your job. You respect it. You know your equipment and your men and you don’t trust anybody but yourself” (Singerman, p. 26). He did trust the men he took with him on jobs though.

Red Adair’s language was sometimes colorful, and he was straightforward. He also understood the importance of teamwork—for the sake of efficiency and safety. He wanted to learn about the customs of the countries he was called to work in to avoid offending their inhabitants (Singerman, p. 47). When he was in Japan, he made sure to treat the Japanese well, even though the United States had just won the war against them. His respect for different cultures, even in the face of historical conflict, is a testament to his understanding that treating people well can make you go much farther in your endeavors.

Adair was not into drama or politics. It’s also important to note that with a single exception, I found nothing indicating that Adair lobbied the government for anything, including more safety regulations. Instead, he insisted on keeping his men safe himself and was very proud to say that no one on his team ever died or was seriously injured. He actively invented tools and devices that made his work safer instead of waiting for or asking the government to protect them. [The only exception was his meeting with George H. W. Bush after he had surveyed the extent of the work to be done in Kuwait in the early 1990s, where he was sent to extinguish wells put on fire by the Iraqis. He explained what his team and others would need to be able to do the job, which he obtained.]

Singerman told a funny anecdote about Adair’s encounter with an OSHA employee who insisted on Adair following government rules. Calmly, Adair led him to reason:

Another time, this safety engineer from OSHA came on a job I was doing for Pacific Gas and Electric in California and told me we couldn't wear our tin hats. He said we had to wear plastic safety hats. That was the rule. I said, “The work we do, it gets too hot for plastic hats.” He said, “That's ridiculous.” I said, “C’mon and take a walk with me a minute.” I took that dude down as close to the fire as he could stand it and stood there with him and that plastic hat of his began to melt and run down over his ears. He damn near shit in his pants and he said, “well, I see your point. I guess we'll have to have a special ruling this.” (p. 290)

He was persistent and focused on the job at hand. He never saw obstacles, such as the lack of water near a well on fire, as anything more than an additional challenge to overcome—he would find a solution, and he did (Singerman, p. 53).

Adair not only cared about the safety of his men, but he also seemed to be replicating his mentor/mentee relationship with Kinley with his employees. Singerman explained how Adair “treated Boots like a son,” even though he was a “constant source of friction” for him (p. 199). This is also why he was very disappointed and deeply hurt when Boots and Coots, two of the men he had taught wild well fighting, just quit and started their own company when he refused to agree to their demands and then apparently spread rumors about Adair’s retiring or getting out of business.

Adair had been extremely loyal to his mentor Kinley (Singerman, p. 244), staying with him years after it would have been time for Adair to leave because Kinley couldn’t do the work as he used to anymore. At this point, Adair was handling most of the work, covering for Kinley without taking full credit so as not to embarrass his mentor (Singerman, pp. 206, 235, 238). He expected the same kind of loyalty from Boots and Coots. It wasn’t so much that they would want to start their own company, but rather that they seemed to have done that with little respect for what they had been able to learn from him: “He felt something inside him was broken that had nothing to do with his body. He felt tired and lonely. He felt betrayed” (p. 307).

Adair considered his employees as his second family and had a meritocratic vision of advancement, which mirrored his own experience:

It's a simple system, really. A man begins his career at the Red Adair Company at the very bottom and if he works hard, keeps his mouth shut, shows some initiative, and fits into the Red Adair satellite system, he moves on up the line. (Singerman, p. 270)

Generosity

His fearlessness in front of well fires that could only make you think you had arrived in hell may have made him look tough, but he was also a generous man, literally and figuratively.

Adair donated money and, after his semi-retirement, time to many charities dedicated to children, especially children with severe burns. Some of these charities included the Easter Seals Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Epilepsy Association, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Haselburst, p. 45). One time, Adair made a $25,000 check directly to a neighbor he knew worked with the Texas Children’s Hospital, even though he could not deduct the money from his taxes by making it to his neighbor instead of the hospital. But that wasn’t why he made the check; he focused on helping children, and this seemed easier for him (Singerman, p. 266).

When a European community offered to buy him a Mercedes as a thank-you after he completed a job there, he told the community to use the money to donate to a hospital treating badly burnt children instead (Singerman, p. 214).

Adair had become friends with Rush Johnson, the head of a loss adjustment firm, which contracted for Lloyd’s of London. Johnson explained that Adair was always trying to salvage anything he could while doing a job, such as pulling drilling rigs away from the fire and saving the insurance company millions of dollars, so he never argued about the bill Adair sent for doing a job. But sometimes, Adair “did a job for nothing for an independent oil man in danger of going under” (Singerman, pp. 205, 250).

His daughter explained that he wasn’t always present for important life milestones for his family or friends, but he was always there if any of them needed them.

Conclusion

Red Adair was fearless in front of well fires and developed a very thick skin, likely due to his childhood and young adult experiences. Yet, he cared deeply about his family, even if he didn’t always show it well. He also cared very much about his employees. To quote his wife, when she compared him to John Wayne, “tough guys on the outside, but soft on the inside” (Singerman, p. 275).

He loved action, working hard, and doing a job well the first time, and he loved what he was doing for a living. Read any description of a well blowout in Singerman’s biography, and it’s hard not to be amazed by what the little boy from Texas has accomplished: He faced nearly 3,000 wild wells without fear; he fought them with tools he invented without going to college; he controlled wild wells and extinguished well fires with no loss of life on his team and no significant injuries while saving money to the industry.

Adair's humility was always present, no matter how far he had come: “I never thought I would be in a place like this in my life—I am just a country boy from Texas,” he told the U.S. House of Representatives, Ad Hoc Select Committee on Outer Continental Shelf when he testified before Congress in 1977 (p. 875).

In an episode dedicated to Red Adair, one of the hosts of the Come and Take It podcast commented:

It’s a great example of the modern Texan mindset: the boastfulness, the swagger, that “I will get the job done,” but having the wherewithal and the professionalism to actually back that up.

I couldn’t agree with this more.

Share

Sources

Ad Hoc Select Committee on Outer Continental Shelf. (1977). Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1977. U.S. House of Representatives.

Associated Press. (2004, August 8). Red Adair, Oil-Well Firefighter, Dies at 89. NBC News.

Clancy, CJ. (2021, June 2). Red Adair: The World Famous Oil Well Firefighter and Son of an Irish Immigrant. Irish Central.

“Fighting Oil Well Fires Propelled Red Adair to Celebrity Status.” (2016, June 10). Houston Chronicle."

Haselburst, Maureen. (2004). Red Adair: The Story of an Oil Well Fighter. Pacific Learning.

“Hellfighters,” with John Wayne and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, 1968.

Knight, Gib. (2024, August 7). Hellfighters – The Red Adair Story. Oklahoma Minerals.

Lifset, Robert, Raechel Lutz, and Sarah Stanford-McIntyre. (2023). American Energy Cinema.

MacRae, Michael. (2012, December 12). Red Adair to the Rescue. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“Red Adair,” August 13, 2018, Come and Take It podcast.

Singerman, Philip. (1989). Red Adair: An American Hero – The Authorized Biography. Bloomsbury.

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §127.001(5).

Oil & Gas Field Technical Terms Glossary. (n.d.). Wild Well.

First things first: It’s been 11 awesome years since I’ve moved from New York (after emigrating from France) to Texas!

I explained why I love Texas so much in a commentary I wrote a few years ago, which you can read here, and, of course, Achievement, TX, is illustrative of why I am now a proud Texan (see the About page if you haven’t already).

And I enjoyed every second of these 11 years living in the Lone Star State—and what an amazing 11 years it has been!

Now for the update.

An article initially meant to be posted in late June will be posted this weekend. It will tell the unique story of oil-well firefighter Red Adair.

I don’t want to promise an immediate return to the weekly posting schedule I had first promised quite yet, but I still aim to get back to it soon. The lack of posts does not come from a lack of ideas or subjects to research. The research process has taken more time than I anticipated because 1) I want to have as much information as possible (or is available), 2) it has been fascinating, and 3) sometimes life happens!

So, here’s to sending you more captivating stories of the achievements of several generations of Texans in the months to come!

Thank you for your renewed patience! ❤️ ⭐

I'm deviating only slightly from the subject of Achievement, TX, today to wish my fellow Americans a Happy Independence Day. It is also only proper for a publication celebrating achievement to celebrate America, and Texans love America just as much as they love Texas. (Almost 😉)

As I wrote here before, achievement is a very American concept. It would not have been possible without the founding of the United States of America, at least not as we understand achievement today.

To be able to achieve, one needs freedom of thought and expression, freedom of association, property rights, and agency—the freedom to pursue one’s happiness, one’s life—values that the Founders were looking to reach:

The Declaration of Independence, first and foremost, and then the U.S. Constitution, inspired me and convinced me that I wanted to immigrate to the United States because these documents not only recognized individual rights, they aimed to create a government whose limited role was to secure these rights, not to direct how I should live my life, nor to redistribute the products of people’s efforts as it saw fit. This meant my life was my responsibility. All I needed was to pursue it.

In large part, the people who built this country came here to flee oppression and to pursue opportunity and freedom. America set the foundations for people to pursue their happiness, their dreams, and to achieve what they had set their mind on achieving.

Many of the people who come today to pursue their happiness here come because the conditions for achievement are here—the right foundations, better policies, fewer barriers, an American mentality that is generally encouraging and admiring, rather than envious, of achievement—much more than in their own country (if these conditions exist at all there).

True, America has, in some respects, moved away from its founding principles. But the good foundations are still here. And every day, Americans and immigrants start new ventures and new lives here because they can here.

Today is a day to remember why this is possible and an occasion to be thankful. And as we remember our blessings, we can strive to rediscover and advance the principles that form the foundation of this great country we call home.

I consider two things in my life to be achievements of which I am particularly proud. The first is to have made it here and become an American citizen. The second is to be able to work toward preserving the great achievement that is the United States of America. (And Texas ⭐ 😉)

My friends have heard that story over and over, but I’ll keep repeating it as long as is necessary.

I love America, I respect and admire the principles on which this country was created, and I am thankful for the opportunities this country has afforded me. And I hope that I will never take these blessings for granted.

Happy Independence Day, friends! Stay safe, enjoy time spent with family and friends, and some good food and entertainment, and remember why we can enjoy these moments.

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In the early 1960s, John Steinbeck made a 10,000-mile road trip through America to reconnect with the country he had written so much about. He told the story of this trip in his travelogue Travels with Charley: In Search of America. Research later showed that many details might have come from Steinbeck’s creative mind rather than actual encounters and discussions with Americans.

I first picked up the book to read the context of the quote below, but the travelogue was overall a pleasant, informative, and sometimes funny read (I particularly recommend the passage in which Steinbeck describes his experience with Customs not actually crossing the US-Canada border with his dog at Niagara Falls 😂).

I will leave aside John Steinbeck himself, a complex and at times controversial character, as well as his other writings, to focus on the chapter he dedicated to Texas, summed up by the well-known (at least to Texans) quote:

“Texas is a state mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word.”

[Unless stated otherwise, all quotes in this article are taken from Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck.]

It’s worth noting that Steinbeck’s (third) wife, Elaine Anderson Steinbeck, was from Texas (Austin). The ranch the Steinbecks (Elaine joined John in Texas) stayed at, which is described in Travels, was Elaine’s first husband, actor Zachary Scott’s ranch.

Others may have their own (and differing) interpretations of Steinbeck’s description of Texas and the Thanksgiving party the Steinbecks attended at the Texas ranch. For our purposes, I was interested in looking at Steinbeck’s account of Texas with our values/virtues lens. Let’s look at that Texas state of mind!

Texas Is Big

Throughout the chapter, Steinbeck seems to take precautions when he talks about Texas, describing the subject as the “Texas problem” and how one can only talk about Texas in generalities, yet Texas always comes back to contradict itself. One example he gives is “the booted and blue-jeaned ranchman in Neiman-Marcus, buying Chinese jades” (more on Neiman Marcus here and here).

Texas is big. Texas is huge. And Texas is diverse. East Texas is different from West Texas, or South Texas, not to mention the Panhandle… and Austin isn’t even Texas! (Kidding!)

The scenery can vary widely, but you find certain traits throughout Texas.

“I know no place where hospitality is practiced so fervently as in Texas.”

Texans are known to be friendly people, and Steinbeck says the ones he knows are “gracious, friendly, generous, and quiet.”

Texans are welcoming and helpful. Hospitality is a value for Texans. It is part of the state of mind, and Steinbeck didn’t miss pointing this out. This is part of a Texas identity that, historically, is linked to the American Founding and culture but is still particular to the state—“Texas is a nation in every sense of the word.”

Steinbeck points to the semi-national Texan identity as a trait Texans identify with abroad: “A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner.”

[Personal anecdote: shortly before I decided to move from New York to Texas, a group of Texans living in New York found my cat’s blog and followed it on Twitter (now X). My (French) cat’s name was Texas (the explanation will have to wait for another time). The group was super friendly, and I attended one of their meetings before moving to Texas. The name of the group? Texpats.]

Texan actor Matthew McConaughey said, “I can go anywhere in the world but my spirit is still Texan and I recognize my own kind. There are no secret handshakes but when Texans meet there’s a special fraternity.”

Steinbeck concludes his comments about Texas’ diversity and paradoxes by saying that Texas’ “unity lies in the mind” and that there is an “idea of Texas.”

This is the Texas state of mind.

Texans Are Proud

Steinbeck doesn’t talk about pride. Instead, he talks about “boasting” and “arrogance” when Texans are out of state. I’ve mentioned this elsewhere: there’s a tendency to call rightly understood and earned pride and confidence in one’s abilities and achievements “boasting” and “arrogance.” But confidence does not have to lead to and is not arrogance.

Texans are proud of their history and of the state that they built—and rightly so.

“The glorious defense to the death of the Alamo against the hordes of Santa Anna is a fact. The brave bands of Texans did indeed wrest their liberty from Mexico and freedom, liberty, are holy words.”

Liberty is a major value for most Texans.

“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery and paradox.”

And inspecting it is exactly what Achievement, TX, is doing (reminder: this publication focuses on the positive aspects about achievement and Texas on purpose; more at the About page).

Then, Steinbeck makes a strong statement about Texas:

“I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans.”

He pursues:

“To attack one Texan is to draw fire from all Texans. The Texas joke, on the other hand, is a revered institution, beloved and in many cases originating in Texas.”

Think Texas Humor or Texas Memes… which reminded me of this one:

Steinbeck also talks about Texans’ love for the land and for owning a ranch, and the land is definitely an important value for many Texans.

Steinbeck continues by associating the land with wealth and energy in Texans’ minds, as he adds, “and the energy of Texans is boundless and explosive,” explaining that Texans take the land—their land—seriously and work it:

“The energy, in a climate so hot as to be staggering, is also staggering. And the tradition of hard work is maintained whatever the fortune or lack of it.”

A virtue dear to Texans is hard work.

This takes us to the last part of Steinbeck’s chapter on Texas.

Texas Is Successful

And here comes the “Thanksgiving orgy” in Steinbeck’s chapter dedicated to Texas. This is not to be understood as a depraved party. This is the part where Steinbeck insists on how much rich Texans like to show their wealth by “squandering their millions on tasteless and impassioned exhibitionism.”

Now, I am too young 😅 to know what it was like in the 1960s in Texas. I have never seen that behavior in the past 11 years that I have lived in Texas, though. The only time I have seen that behavior was in Moscow right after the fall of the Soviet Union, coming from newly very rich people, so maybe there is a nouveau riche effect—I do not know.

This section in which Steinbeck insists on the fact that rich Texans feel the need to display their wealth ostentatiously is somewhat contradictory, though. On one side, he talks about “exhibitionism,” on the other, he says, “rich people began to arrive, concealing their status in blue jeans and riding boots.” He insists, “How unthinkably rich these Texans must be to live as simply as they were.”

Remember: They love, own, and work the land—and love everything about it. They work hard. They are successful.

Steinbeck is not really overly critical about these Texans’ wealth, but he insists and insists on how they display it, almost as if he were “a little frightened and very tender in [his] feelings” about it, if you ask me 😉 (something he attributed to Texans outside of state earlier).

Without putting it this way (perspective), Steinbeck essentially described how successful some Texans were. Perhaps the “state of mind” had something to do with it?

Texas Is a State of Mind

We can interpret Steinbeck’s description of Texas in Travels in several ways. To me, it echoes what we are looking at here, at Achievement, TX: it highlights certain values (liberty, the land, hospitality) and virtues (industriousness, pride, friendliness) that represent the Texas “state of mind” that Steinbeck talked about—even if Steinbeck might not have seen it exactly the same way.

Travels with Charley is well worth reading, just for Texas or for his entire trip through America.

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Sources

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck, Penguin Books, 1962/2012.

“A Reality Check for Steinbeck and Charley” by Charles McGrath, New York Times, April 3, 2011.

“A New Texan Traces John Steinbeck’s Path Through Texas” by Madeleine Aggeler, Texas Highways, February 2022.

Overview

This is the second part of the story of Dallas specialty store Neiman Marcus. This article focuses on Harold Stanley Marcus, the son of co-founder Herbert Marcus, Sr., and how Stanley Marcus started working at a store that was already successful beyond expectations and took it to an even higher level of excellence and innovation, making the Texas store, and by extension the city it was founded in, Dallas, renowned worldwide.

As I mentioned in the first part, the research on Neiman Marcus was a riveting journey that surpassed my initial expectations. Stanley Marcus was a captivating figure in this narrative. (In fact, there are still many facets of him that I have intentionally saved to delve into later.)

“In many of these merchant families the men and women of the first generation were the most interesting, while those of the second and third generations became increasingly less so. But in a few cases—such as Stanley Marcus, Beatrice Auerbach, and Barry Goldwater—the greater figures were in the second or even the third generation.” (Merchant Princes, p. 90)

Stanley Marcus was a multifaceted, larger-than-life character who did not just inherit the family business to benefit from what his father, aunt, and uncle had built but brought complementary skills and ambition that enabled him to match and even exceed Herbert, Carrie, and Al’s achievement of founding the Store and making it immediately successful.

“He doesn't work at being a fabulous character. It just sort of happens. There is a new story about him almost every day. His personality pervades the store. And on a quick visit to the establishment, you get the impression that H. Stanley is a creature of almost incredible talents, industry, and interests.” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 18)

Stanley Marcus was born Harold Stanley Marcus (he would later use “H. Stanley Marcus” and then drop the “H” altogether) in Dallas on April 20, 1905, two years before Neiman Marcus opened its doors.

Before starting Neiman Marcus, the founding trio had gone to Georgia and started a sales promotion business, which was successful, but Carrie and Herbert Marcus were missing home and family in Dallas. So, the trio decided to sell to go back to Texas. Their business received two offers, one for the franchise for the relatively new drink Coca-Cola in one of two states. Years later, Stanley Marcus often joked that Neiman Marcus was founded on “bad business judgment”—taking $25,000 over the Coca-Cola franchise.

Think about it: So many things could have turned out differently over this decision. A great company—Neiman Marcus—may have never existed. In addition, the Store grew in symbiosis with Dallas and perhaps even considerably helped the city grow. Where would Dallas be today without Neiman Marcus?

Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband, Al Neiman, did not have children. Stanley was the first of four children of Herbert Marcus, Sr., and Minnie Lichtenstein Marcus and became de facto heir to the Neiman Marcus store—although all three of Stanley’s brothers would also work in the store. Nothing necessarily predestined him to that, though. While studying at Harvard, he found himself a passion for books. He even started a rare book mail-order club and seriously considered going into publishing. (According to Thomas Alexander [The Relentless Reign, p. 29], he later owned nearly 10,000 books.)

Still, in 1926, at age 21, he returned from Harvard and started working at Neiman Marcus. He later told the story that, when he was a toddler, his father couldn’t afford any form of child care, so he would take him to the store and leave him at the alterations department, where he would play on the floor. He joked that he literally made his way from the ground up to the top of the company (The Relentless Reign, p. 25).

After Al Neiman departed the partnership, Stanley Marcus became responsible for the “all important better merchandise part of the retail operation” and, according to Alexander, “it was in this first truly executive position … that he suddenly gained the business fundamentals that would quickly transform him from a zealous and aggressive upstart into a knowledgeable and progressive merchandising genius” (The Relentless Reign, p. 39)

In 1950, when his father died, he became president and CEO of Neiman Marcus at age 45.

Heirs to founder-achievers are not always motivated or talented for the same things as their parents and don’t always improve their parents’ business. In Stanley Marcus’ case, this is clearly the opposite and in an interesting way, one in which the achievement of Stanley Marcus is not overshadowed by the initial one of Herbert, Carrie, and Al—nor is it the other way around. Mr. Stanley, as the employees and customers would come to call him, had ideas to improve the Store, and he sure did so.

Stanley Marcus gave the Store and its customers the weekly fashion shows, the fashion awards, and the Fortnight events, and he greatly improved the Christmas catalog. All of this generated both enormous publicity and sales in times when they were generally low (part of the goal) and made Neiman Marcus and Dallas famous beyond Texas and national borders.

Stanley Marcus was generally described as anything but modest, someone difficult to work with (because of his exigence for excellence), very demanding, and working all the time. Reading his own books tends to point to his confidence (more than any arrogance) in his tone and how he relates the stories he tells. Yet, one can find a lot of humility coupled with Stanley Marcus’ confidence. There is no reaching excellence without constantly learning, which implies that you don’t think you know and have the answers to everything. Stanley Marcus regularly highlighted the opportunities he had to learn from the people around him.

Another characteristic of the person he was lies in his integrity—both in his work and regarding his opinions. This can be best seen in his Viewpoints, the reprinting of opinion pieces he regularly wrote for the Dallas Morning News. Those touched on a variety of subjects, including customer sovereignty, which he said was a fact in a free market economy; the decrease in quality, excellence, and good salesmanship, for which he blamed management’s failure to educate their staff; but also political opinions, which he admitted sometimes made some customers angry because they disagreed with him.

Far from talking in the name of Neiman Marcus—the company—Stanley Marcus recognized that his personal political positions could affect the store that bore his name. But he strongly believed in freedom of speech; he didn’t want to be right, he wanted to start a conversation, to encourage people to think and disagree.

Both the documentary “The Store” and Thomas Alexander’s The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince relate how Stanley Marcus sang a version of My Way he rewrote, not without confidence but also with much humor, at an event for the 75th anniversary of Neiman Marcus. (I unfortunately couldn’t find the footage online. See The Relentless Reign, pp. 232-233, for lyrics.)

Stanley Marcus appears to have been a man with strong convictions, a strong work ethic, and a true concern for attention to detail and excellent customer service. Between the time he started working for his father, aunt, and uncle and when he actually took over, there seems to have been continuity in the clearly stated (in the first ad for the store’s opening) mission, vision, and values of the Store. But in continuing his father and aunt’s achievement and taking it to the next level, he created his own achievement and did it his way.

Values: Excellence/Perfection, Customer Satisfaction, Making the Sale, Integrity, Ambition, Innovation.

Virtues: Customer Service, Attention to Detail, Quality Control/Uncompromising, Hard Work, High Expectations, Self-Confidence, Growth Mindset.

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Vision & Mission: Excellence, Customer Satisfaction, Making the Good Sale—the Quest for the Best

“His goal was excellence in all things, and his pursuit of it gave new meaning to the word ‘relentless.’” (The Relentless Reign, p. 55)

Extraordinary Mentors: Learning From the Best

The three Neiman Marcus founding partners were on a quest for excellence and customer satisfaction. Stanley Marcus benefited from extraordinarily talented mentors who enabled him to continue the store's vision and mission. Not only did he see them work as a child, but he also learned from directly working with them when he started at the Store.

Stanley Marcus credits mostly three persons (I will leave aside the part related to Al Neiman and their disagreements): his father and his aunt (the most) and Moira Cullen (Neiman Marcus’ first buyer besides Carrie). He showers his father and his aunt with compliments and tells many stories about how he learned the importance of attending to customers and dropping everything else, if necessary; of making sure any piece of garment had zero defect; or what a good sale was (not necessarily the biggest one).

“Under [Aunt Carrie and Moira Cullen] I received a post-graduate course in specialty store buying, for they were buyers with courage, taste, fashion awareness, and a noncompromising understanding of quality. Miss Cullen had, in addition, the ability to know not only what was wrong with a garment, but why it was wrong.” (Minding the Store, p. 61)

In his first Viewpoints, Stanley Marcus describes his father as having “no tolerance for mediocrity. He expected the best; he got the best” (in “My Father’s Standards,” p. 156). He would be described in similar terms himself. In his Minding the Store, he explained that his parents “regarded idleness as one of the cardinal sins,” so he started working at the Store when he was not in school, “first as a messenger boy carrying packages from the selling floors to the basement, then as a cashier, and finally as a junior floor worker” (p. 29).

Alexander reports that Stanley Marcus also learned the “art of aggressively pursuing a potential sale until it became a reality” from his aunt Carrie (p. 17).

The Pursuit of Excellence: Hard Work, Attention to Detail, and Quality Control

Neiman Marcus instituted an inspection department to check that every piece of garment was the best it could be and free of defects. Stanley Marcus himself would check such details regularly. There was no “more or less” good for Stanley Marcus—he always aimed for the best.

In his Neiman Marcus, Texas, Tolbert told the story of how a merchandising executive recommended advertising an Orlon coat by stating that you could wash it if it got stained. When asked by the advertising director whether it could be washed, she angrily responded in the affirmative, to which Stanley Marcus asked whether she had tried. She had not. Stanley Marcus and the advertising director proceeded to stain a coat and try washing it with water (pp. 7-8).

Throughout the literature on Neiman Marcus, and Stanley Marcus in particular, his strong work ethic is obvious, from working weekends—and sometimes expecting his staff to do so as well—to establishing an incredibly busy schedule so that he could write his book Minding the Store while still running the Store:

“I made the decision that the only way I could write a book and also meet my responsibilities as CEO of Neiman Marcus was to establish a rigid writing schedule to which I could adhere. So I dedicated the hours of 8:00 P.M. to midnight on weekdays and 8:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays.” (Minding the Store, “Foreword”)

His obsession (in a good way) for quality transpires in his Viewpoints articles and his books. In Quest for the Best, in the chapter on the death of elegance, for example, he pointed out that quality was a value to be chosen and pursued—and he made it a mission that no one at Neiman Marcus would forget either.

Customer Satisfaction & Making the Sale: They Had to Go Together

Stanley Marcus, like his father and aunt, was laser-focused on satisfying his customers, which meant three things:

1. He would make recommendations to his customers for cheaper products than the ones they were looking at if he thought that was a better buy for them.

2. He would drop everything and go the extra mile to satisfy a customer.

3. He would not fight or try to be right with a customer who was wrong or who appeared dishonest (see “If Customer Isn’t Right, Pretend,” Stanley Marcus from A-Z: Viewpoints, Volume II, pp. 152-153).

Stanley Marcus didn’t hesitate to kill big sales when they weren’t likely to be good buys for the customers. For example, he once recommended the father of a 16-year-old girl against buying her a several thousand dollars mink coat she planned to wear in high school—and instead recommended a $295 muskrat or beaver coat: “I could foresee social ostracism for her when her new associates saw her in a mink coat” (Neiman Marcus, Texas, p. 90).

Stanley’s dedication to service to his customers is undeniable. Numerous stories attest to his daily attention to satisfying his customers—which is never too far from making a sale. He understood that profits were a result of, not a means to, customer satisfaction (“Why Service Is Often so Bad,” The Viewpoints of Stanley Marcus : A Ten-Year Perspective).

Stanley Marcus recognized that customers have the power in a free market, which he generally praised. If they are not satisfied, they can and will go elsewhere. At the same time, the Marcus family was committed to excellence and sought it as a matter of principle—they always refused to compromise on quality; instead, they always tried to find the best products at different prices. Neiman Marcus wanted not only to offer the best but also to offer what’s best for the customers. The relationship was a transactional or win-win one.

The Quest for the Best: Perfectionism, Hard Work, and High Expectations

Herbert Marcus, Sr., was radical about excellence, and Stanley Marcus was a perfectionist in general. Both chose the best over the “good enough”—always. Some of Stanley Marcus' employees described him as “difficult to work with,” notably because he always had suggestions to improve everything the Store was doing.

“The great craftsmen and merchants of the Renaissance were challenged by the same requirements as their counterparts are today. They had to possess a discerning eye for the best, an ability to detect the slightest flaw, and a consuming desire for perfection.” (Quest for the Best, “The Death of Elegance,” p. 5)

In his Relentless Reign, Alexander describes how Stanley would visit the entire store just an hour before the start of a Fortnight event and point out every little detail that could be improved in the store's decoration, sometimes but more rarely pointing out positive things, too.

He also worked relentlessly to make the store successful. He spent his days at the Store, dropped everything for customers, and traveled the world to benefit the Dallas store.

In return, he had high expectations of the people he worked with—manufacturers and employees. He was also there to support his employees, providing training himself, hence doing what his father and aunt had done for him. He did not hesitate to let go of an employee who wasn’t performing satisfactorily either.

Integrity: Work/Life Balance Symbiosis

When I strike through “balance” and replace it with “symbiosis,” this is not a criticism or sarcasm. Work/Life balance generally implies a separation of both environments. In some cases, it is hard to fully separate both, and the “balance” becomes more of a symbiosis—both areas of your life coexist simultaneously (this is often what happens when you are passionate about your work—ask me how I know 😉).

In that specific case, I am not referring to hard work and rest but to Stanley Marcus demonstrating integrity in his life and work.

“Some principles in business and daily life I hold to be true, such as integrity, the privileges guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the Golden Rule, generosity of spirit, courtesy, fair play, intellectual honesty, the preciousness of time. There are others that I also practice, but with less intensity and conviction.” (The Viewpoints of Stanley Marcus, “Experience Is Not Wisdom,” p. 231)

In his work, his commitment to excellence meant focusing, or even obsessing, on the smallest details, while his commitment to service meant that he made himself available to clients and that Neiman Marcus existed to make sales that benefited both parties, but that the customer’s satisfaction was a sine qua non.

“The independent entrepreneur, whether an artisan or manufacturer, with an idea for a superior product or service, devotes his entire energy to making it the finest available. He has pride in his business and the satisfaction of his clientele.” (Quest for the Best, “The Death of Elegance,” p. 13)

His commitment to excellence also meant that he had the humility to know that the learning process was continuing and essential. He regularly stated how much he learned from his customers, explaining that listening and learning how to satisfy the most difficult customers would surely help satisfy the less difficult ones (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 90).

His character clearly reverberates in his work. But he also refused to censor himself for the sake of his work. Stanley Marcus had very strong political opinions which he never refrained from sharing. He was a strong believer in freedom of speech; in that vein, he refused to self-censor. In fact, when he first agreed to join the family business, it was on the condition that he would not have to silence his opinions.

His analyses also seemed to aim for balance when sharing a perspective that might differ from the mainstream perspective of the time. He was happy to hear when people would disagree with him, as he appreciated giving people the opportunity to think. When he tried to analyze the economic, political, and/or cultural factors that brought change to society, he generally weighed the pros and cons. His article on “The Death of Excellence,” for example, points out that society has seen a decrease in quality and excellence since machines have taken over certain hand work—but at the same time, he pointed out, we should not lament that change in cases where hand labor came at a terrible human price.

Ambition: Seeking the Best and Giving Himself the Means to Reach It

Stanley Marcus’ ambition manifested itself in three ways: high expectations, self-confidence, and a growth mindset, all of which are linked and dependent on one another.

High Expectations

We’ve already mentioned high expectations regarding work and quality of service, which he had for himself and those he worked with.

Stanley Marcus also had very high expectations regarding the impact he expected from the innovations he brought to the Store: publicity and promotion. It is interesting to look at his goals for each promotional and event strategy.

First, he aimed to compete with the greatest, most well-known American department stores in cities like New York or Chicago at a time when Dallas was still considered a countryside city (advertising in national fashion publications). To do so, he secured exclusivity with certain brands and refused to carry certain brands that were available elsewhere (exclusivity). Finally, he managed to have Neiman Marcus recognized as one of the best international fashion stores (fashion awards and Fortnight events). Again, we are talking of a time when Dallas was still growing, and New York City was the city for fashion.

Self-Confidence

His ambition also manifested itself in his self-confidence (1) to run the store very early and (2) as viewed by those around him.

Stanley Marcus said he was eager to make his mark in the store:

“I yearned for any type of responsibility, however insignificant, in the performance of which I could be judged. I was eager to apply some of my new knowledge of statistics and advertising to Neiman-Marcus, but at that moment they weren't ready for my college expertise.” (Minding the Store, p. 47)

His only regret, he said, was that his father did not make him CEO for this 40th birthday.

He was, by his own admission “too aggressive and often brash in his overheated desire to bring an unheard new dimension to this father’s store” (The Relentless Reign, pp. 36-37) and “promoted long before his experience warranted it” (p. 38).

At least two people who knew Stanley Marcus reported him lacking humility or modesty, which is quite different from being self-confident. However, self-confidence is sometimes perceived as arrogance. Reading Minding the Store gave me the impression that Stanley Marcus was self-assured but not arrogant.

In fact, despite his self-assurance, Stanley Marcus was also quick to point out his flaws or areas he didn’t excel in. He didn’t hide stories that weren’t very flattering, and most importantly, he highlighted how he learned the ropes of his trade.

Growth Mindset

In Tolbert’s Neiman Marcus, Texas, Stanley Marcus is quoted related to spending 3 hours with a client resulting in a $50 sale: “I was learning from her what she expected in color, fabric, and silhouette. Her money was limited. Her taste was superb. She would make no compromise between what she wanted and what she could afford to pay. If I hadn't found her a dress she liked, I would have ordered one to satisfy her exacting taste” (p. 14). Tolbert also quoted him explaining why he spent time with women who were buying fur coats every year to try and predict what would be wanted in the next season (p. 89).

He learned both from his family who founded Neiman Marcus and from his customers. In addition, he always was looking for ways to improve himself and the Store.

“He was never fully satisfied with the end results of any of his endeavors and innovations. No matter how successful something seemed to others, and particularly to his competitors, he relentlessly pursued ways to make improvement. Each day brought endless opportunities to try something new and to vigorously challenge something longer established.” (The Relentless Reign, p. 221)

Innovation: Taking Neiman Marcus to the Next Level

Stanley Marcus’ competitive advantage, as presented by Alexander, was that he was a showman: “To forever affirm and cast in stone the sheer storekeeping sense of Herbert and to amplify if not glorify the innate but brilliant fashion acuity of Carrie Gary, Stanley introduced the dazzling concept of the store as theater” (The Relentless Reign, p. 42).

Publicity: Events and Coverage

One of the first ideas Stanley Marcus had for the Store was to introduce weekly fashion shows—the first time an American department store had such shows.

In 1938, Stanley Marcus created the annual Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion, which recognized important designers or celebrities who had influenced fashion (among those recognized were Elizabeth Arden, Hattie Carnegie, Grace Kelly, and Coco Chanel). The awards attracted attention to Neiman Marcus and led the Store to sometimes being able to secure exclusivity with some of the recognized designers and to continue to make Neiman Marcus an authority in fashion (the awards became known as the “Oscars of the Fashion Industry” [The Relentless Reign, p. 44]).

“It was this uncanny ability to dream and, in truth to connive, in a circuitous way that made Stanley the marketing expert he was to become. Blessed with a limitless vision that enabled him to see far beyond the city limits of Dallas and even the far reaching borders of Texas, Stanley managed to put the store his father had so firmly founded well on the way to national retail stardom by the time the store was barely thirty years old.” (The Relentless Reign, pp. 44-45)

Stanley Marcus also decided to advertise in national fashion magazines, such as Vogue, to give the Dallas store visibility in the world of fashion, which was then dominated mostly by New York City. Neiman Marcus became the first department store outside of New York City to advertise in these magazines.

Neiman Marcus had sent a Christmas Catalog since very early, but Stanley Marcus improved on it starting in 1959 and made it, again, an international subject of interest, by adding out of-the-ordinary, exotic, or outrageous “His and Her” gifts to it, making the catalog the subject of news coverage every year—again giving Neiman Marcus publicity nationally and internationally. Some of these gifts included camels, mummy cases, Chinese junks, or life-size Lego sculptures (see The Relentless Reign, p. 252, for the full list of gifts).

But his most well-known and grandiose innovation to the Store was the launch in 1957 of the Fortnights. The annual event to happen in the fall was thought of with two benefits in mind: increasing both sales in a period—before Christmas—when sales were generally low and Neiman Marcus’ visibility nationally and internationally. Each Fortnight was to feature a foreign country—not just in Neiman Marcus’ store, but in downtown Dallas as well. This annual event was, each time, a very ambitious project. Neiman Marcus would redecorate the store to represent a specific country, feature exclusive and high-quality products best representative of this country, and convince various institutions in the city to display art or other products representative of the country. Finally, many expenses necessary to make these events possible would be sponsored by companies from the country featured… or funded by its government. Talk about early economic development!

“It was the store's ability to compel an entire city to voluntarily participate in the Fortnights that paid homage to the marketing skills of Stanley Marcus and the powerfully influential store over which he presided.” (The Relentless Reign,
p. 62)

Preparing for these events necessitated a lot of work months in advance. Once a country was selected, negotiations would start with that country. Buyers would go there to find exquisite and never-before-seen-in-the-U.S. products that could be sold at Neiman Marcus during the event, which had to be approved by Stanley Marcus.

The first country to be featured was France, which would be the focus of 5 Fortnights during the nearly 30 years they were held.

Several of those who wrote about Neiman Marcus pointed out that Stanley Marcus did not invent anything—that every innovation he brought to the Store had been tried elsewhere first, such as the Fortnights in Europe. But each of these authors also insisted that Stanley Marcus tremendously improved upon these innovations—in a true Texan way, making them bigger and more grandiose (The Relentless Reign, p. 57; Merchant Princes, p. 174).

Exclusivity

Finally, as outlined in the store's first ad, exclusivity was part of Neiman Marcus’ strategy from the beginning. Neiman Marcus benefited from being the only store selling a specific manufacturer’s or designer’s products, but it also benefited the brand since the Store gave that brand premium placement in its advertisements and higher commissions to its salespersons for selling this brand’s products (The Relentless Reign, p. 22). It bears repeating that Neiman Marcus always sought a win-win relationship with its stakeholders.

Conclusion

As I was reading about Stanley Marcus, another achiever, although not a Texan, often came to mind: Steve Jobs. I haven’t studied Jobs in depth, but the relentless quest for excellence, expecting it and demanding it from those they thought could deliver it, seemed to me to be shared between the two. In his Relentless Reign, Thomas Alexander tells how Stanley Marcus’ criticism sometimes came harsh but that he also helped him “becom[e] far more than I could have otherwise been” (p. v).

In my first Neiman Marcus story, I wondered whether Amazon was inspired by the legendary customer service Neiman Marcus has been known for. No real surprise here: I discovered that Jeff Bezos had hired 94-year-old Stanley Marcus as a consultant for Amazon! Both businesses have been extraordinarily customer-centric with the results we know for both.

I found Stanley Marcus’ story incredibly interesting in that he had much to prove and do to make a name for himself. Neiman Marcus was well-known and admired before he started working there, plus there is generally pressure for heirs to prove that merit, not nepotism, is the reason why they end up running a success story they haven’t started. Stanley Marcus continued his family’s success story, improved upon it, and made a name that is now forever linked to Neiman Marcus as if he had been one of the founders of the Store—and in a certain way, he has.

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Sources

Neiman-Marcus, Texas: The Story of the Proud Dallas Store by Frank X. Tolbert, Henry Holt and Company, 1953.

Minding the Store by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 1997/1974.

The Viewpoints of Stanley Marcus: A Ten-Year Perspective by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 1995.

Stanley Marcus From A-Z: Viewpoints, Volume II by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 2000.

Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince by Thomas E. Alexander, State House Press, 2018.

Merchant Princes: An Intimate History of Jewish Families Who Built Great Department Stores by Leon A. Harris, Berkley Publishing Corporation, 1980.

The Store by Director Frederick Wiseman (1983).

Stanley Marcus, J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award, Office of the Provost, Southern Methodist University, n.d.

Made In Texas: Why Was The Neiman Marcus Fortnight Event So Cool? by Lance Avery Morgan, Curated Texan, March 24, 2023.

Never Out of Style: At 94, Marcus Maintains Zest for Work, Passion for Shopping, News On 6, March 21, 2000.

Stanley Marcus: A Life With Books by David R. Farmer, Texas Christian University Press, 1995.

Dear readers,

I missed several posts, but they will be coming—or rather, I will get back to the regular schedule—in the next few days.

I will follow Benjamin Franklin’s advice to “never ruin an apology with an excuse” (at least the quote is attributed to him most of the time on the interwebs) and refrain from giving excuses or reasons.

Instead, I’ll let you know that the next post will complement the one on Neiman Marcus and focus on Stanley Marcus, son of co-founder Herbert Marcus. Stanley Marcus ran the company until the end of the 20th century and took it to the next level of success. Then, we’ll take a look at Steinbeck’s perspective on Texas.

Thank you for your patience (which is an important virtue 😉) and understanding!

What Is the Texas Model?

The Texas Model refers to Texas’ strong economy, plentitude of jobs, low unemployment rate, qualified and abundant labor force, and affordable way of life. It is sometimes called the “Texas economic miracle” to emphasize the strength and benefits of the Texas economy.

This success is undeniable and remains strong, besides the headlines continually announcing its demise over the past 10 years. As I write, Texas’ $2.4 trillion economy is the 8th largest in the world, unemployment was at 3.9% in February 2024, and America’s CEOs have named Texas the best state where to do business for 20 years in a row.

It’s No Miracle Though

Both the Texas Model and the Texas Miracle are used to talk about Texas’ thriving economy and way of life. Without going into the history of both terms here and who used them most, and although the “Texas Model” is more often used these days, I want to emphasize that Texas’ prosperity is no miracle. Texas’ success results from the many virtues and traits of characters that Texans have developed over the centuries, as well as carefully crafted policies prioritizing liberty and personal responsibility.

The Texas Model opts for a limited rather than interventionist government, low taxes, relatively few regulations, respect for property rights, and fewer frivolous lawsuits. In his book dedicated to the Texas Model, Chuck DeVore summarizes it this way: “Liberty, rightly understood, is the core principle of the Texas model; the benefit of the model is prosperity.”

Texas’ success is not the result of chance; it is, instead, the result of an environment that best allows Texans to prosper.

The Texas Model Contributes to Achievement

This short post is meant to set the context of an environment conducive to achievement: more freedom, fewer barriers, and more opportunities to prosper. In future articles and specific stories of achievement, we will have the opportunity to discuss in more detail how some policies have helped hard-working Texans achieve success—or what Texas brings to the table.

The word's etymology is French. “Achievement” comes from “achever,” which means “to finish.” The French word leaves little room for anything more than that—it means finishing something, period (the French use other words to mean “achievement”).

The English word connotes much more, implying not just completion but also that you have finished something difficult, reached a goal, or fulfilled a dream. Not content with just finishing, Americans and Texans want to go the extra mile and accomplish goals that matter, even when they are hard to reach.

If I’m attributing intention from the actors to the meaning of a word, that is because the American and Texan achiever mindset is a testament to our resilience and determination. Consider the pioneers, the entrepreneurs, the inventors who built this country and state. They didn't just come here; they braved harsh conditions, faced the wilderness head-on, and sometimes confronted strong opposition. This is the mindset of people who set the bar high and strive to reach it.

Merrian-Webster defines “achievement” as

• “the act of … succeed[ing] at reaching or accomplishing (a goal, result, etc.) especially through effort”;

• “a result gained by effort: accomplishment”; or

• “a great or heroic deed.”

An achievement is not just about ticking off a task on your to-do list. It's about investing extra effort, going beyond the ordinary, to accomplish something “great or heroic.” This concept is deeply ingrained in the fabric of American and Texan cultures—as well as its celebration, fostering a sense of pride that is rightly earned and validating the hard work and effort we put into our goals.

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Take the American Dream. Whether you were born in the United States or, like me, immigrated here, the concept of the American Dream is about reaching and attaining your most daring goals—the difficult ones, the ones that require hard work and effort, whether it is home ownership, creating a Fortune 100 company, or solving some thousand-year-old problem. The American Dream is an encouragement to make an effort to reach your goals and a celebration of the positive results.

The culture in Texas is similar to the American Dream vision: It encourages people to strive to reach their goals and to accomplish more through effort and ingenuity. I like to quote Houston oilman George Strake: “Everyone’s welcome here, so long as you’re willing to pull the wagon and not just sit in it.” The culture tells you “You can do it, so we’ll let you try and show us what you can do.”

If you complain (I know I do sometimes) about the heat you must endure during the summer when you have to walk 150 steps between your air-conditioned home and your air-conditioned car, think about what the pioneers who built Texas accomplished… without air-conditioning at all! It took grit, endurance, resilience, and a willingness to strive for and achieve something better.

Achievement is important to acknowledge and celebrate. Without the men and women who decided they would spend a good part of their lives working on something better—whether that was a better self, a better product, or a better way to live—and putting significant effort into that project to succeed, chances are we’d still be living without air-conditioning (let’s, by the way, recognize, credit, and thank Willis Carrier for his achievement).

In the end, achievement is a very human drive: It moves us forward, pushes us to take risks to gain important values, and leads us to say no to being content with less than the best we can attain as individuals and as human beings.

But we must not tend toward complacency. It’s there—the air conditioning, the car you can start from your smartphone, the convenience of Facetime calling someone on the other end of the world, the package that arrives overnight—and we hardly pay attention anymore. Past achievements can be taken for granted; at worst, this can lead to an entitlement mentality toward new achievements.

With a culture of being proud of our achievements, Texas encourages people to reach for what they can accomplish and to achieve their dreams, big or small. On top of that, whether big achievers or not, we benefit from (other) achievers’ successes (you have a smartphone in your pocket and are using air conditioning, right?). It is not much, then, to not only allow people to pursue their endeavors (including by not regulating them out of existence) but also to acknowledge the value they are bringing to the world.

Achievement, TX, celebrates Texan achievement for all these reasons.

The culture of achievement is alive and well in Texas. One of the goals of this publication is to acknowledge it, encourage it, and spread it. Only by supporting achievement, can we strive to better both ourselves and the world.

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Note from the author

This is the first long post focusing on an achievement originating from Texas.1

I picked Neiman Marcus because the story of “the Store” is one of tremendous achievement: the creation by three young, ambitious people of a business that revolutionized fashion in early 20th-century Dallas, set the bar very high for customer service and excellence, and went through fires and economic crises and still lasted more than 100 years and counting. But to the author of Achievement, TX, it is also a nod to my origin, as Vogue once described Neiman Marcus as “Texas with a French Accent.” I am seriously thinking about stealing this to make it my nickname 😊

The story of Neiman Marcus has proved even more fascinating than I expected. For this reason, I will dedicate a second, separate article to Stanley Marcus specifically because there is much more to say about his time running the company and about himself. Notably, he has published a variety of commentaries (Viewpoints), including some on salesmanship, businesses, and the role of regulation.

Achievement, TX, will not limit itself to stories of achievement from times past. Those stories are important and must be told here and elsewhere, as they have made and continue to make Texas, Texas. However, I also aim to interview achievers whose stories are being built, as they represent the future of Texas.

This is the first example of what I will strive to bring you in the future: stories of achievement, with a focus on the values sought and reached by the achievers, the virtues they demonstrated to create this story for themselves and those around them, and how it makes Texas, Texas. Feedback is welcome!

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Overview

September 10, 1907 – Dallas, Texas (population: ~43,000). The North Texas town is a world leader in inland cotton and cotton gin manufacturing. The town is growing, but some streets remain unpaved, and transportation means horse-drawn carriage. Saloons and red-light districts are part of the scenery. Nothing seems to indicate that Dallas is on the verge of becoming a fashion trendsetter that will attract the likes of Coco Chanel and Christian Dior just a few decades later.

Herbert Marcus, his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband Abraham Lincoln “Al” Neiman have just returned from Georgia after successfully selling a two-year-old promotion business for $25,000—which they favored over the opportunity to own the franchise licensing for a new and still relatively unknown product named Coca Cola. They have a dream: opening a women’s fine clothing store that will offer the best quality and service in town. The cash payment will help them do just that.

All three were not originally from Texas, but they created one of Texas’ most impressive success stories of the 20th century: Neiman-Marcus. [The store’s name was hyphenated for its first 80 years. I will use the hyphenated version since I will refer to the time before it lost its hyphen.]

Herbert and Carrie Marcus were born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1878 and 1883, respectively. In the early 1890s, the Marcus family moved to Hillsboro, Texas (southwest of Dallas). Herbert and Carrie’s father, Jacob, hoped to be as successful there as one of his cousins, a cotton broken, for “Texas seemed ripe with opportunity for a man with ambition” (A Girl Named Carrie, p. 36).

According to her great-niece, Jerrie Marcus Smith, Carrie became interested in art and fashion very early. In the meantime, Herbert, eager to start working, dropped out of high school and left for Dallas in 1899. He found a job selling shoes at Sanger Brothers, and his ability as a salesperson quickly got him promoted. Carrie joined him a couple of years later and found a job at the specialty store A. Harris & Co. She was quickly promoted as well, and her pay increased as she proved to have refined taste and to be an excellent salesperson.

Al Neiman was born in Pittsburgh in 1875 and grew up in an Ohio orphanage. He ran a profitable sales business when he met Carrie in the 1900s. They got married in 1905.

On September 10, 1907, Neiman-Marcus opened its doors at the corner of Elm St and N. Field St, downtown Dallas. Many prognosticated failure. However, the store quickly became a tremendous success, confirming the three founders’ intuition about women’s clothing needs and rewarding their commitment to excellence and quality, flair for fashion, and exceptional salesmanship and sense of marketing. The store was successful from the beginning and continuously grew despite going through the Panic of 1907, just one month after its opening; a fire that would destroy the entire store less than six years later, in 1913; the First World War; the Crash of 1929; the Great Depression; the Second World War; and another major fire in 1964.

For the next 20 years, the three would grow the business to make it the place to seek fashion advice for women in Dallas—and beyond. In the second part of the 1920s, Herbert Marcus’ first son, Harold Stanley Marcus, joined the business. A new era of growth started for the store, despite the Great Depression and World War II, thanks in part to Stanley Marcus’ ability to generate publicity for the store and his talent for promotion that put both the store and the city of Dallas on the map not just for the rest of the United States, but for the world as well. In the late 20s, Al Neiman left the partnership, and he and Carrie divorced shortly after.

Herbert and Carrie continued to work until the end of their life (at age 72 in 1950, and 69 in 1953, respectively), always available to attend to and help customers in the store. In 1950, Stanley became CEO after his father died, helped by his three brothers, who had joined the family business progressively. The two periods represent different ways the store grew and was managed. Still, both exemplify similar values the family members were seeking in creating and growing the store, and similar virtues that helped them make the family business successful, both of which we are about to review as we look in more detail at the story of Neiman-Marcus, the Dallas store that revolutionized fashion in America.

Values: Excellence, Customer Satisfaction, Ambition, Innovation, Family/Community.

Virtues: High Expectations, Taste, Extreme Attention to Detail, Uncompromising, Flawless Customer Service, Hard Work, Confidence, Determination, Grit.

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Excellence

One of the two most important values that Herbert, Carrie, and Al focused on from the beginning was excellence (and, by extension, quality), which would be their guidepost, as well as Herbert’s son Stanley’s, for all decisions they made throughout the history of the store. To commit to excellence, they:

-            Set very high expectations for themselves and their employees.
-            Had an innate or developed impeccable taste.
-            Paid extreme attention to detail.
-            Refused to compromise in their decisions, despite setbacks.

The Store’s Mission and its First Advertisement: Setting High Expectations

The trio of founders had worked in the clothing industry before starting their business. Herbert had worked at Sanger Brothers, a dry-goods wholesale and retail store. Carrie had worked at A. Harris & Co., a specialty store. Both stores were among the biggest Dallas department stores at the time—and would be competitors.

“It took courage to come into the same town dominated by Sanger Brothers. But courage they didn't lack, nor were they bashful or overly modest in their evaluation of their own standards of good taste and fashion.” (Minding the Store, p. 5)

The three ambitious founders set the bar high to compete with these department stores. Their store opened selling not only the finest, highest-quality women’s clothing, but it also made it possible for a broader community of women, not just the richest ones, to be clothed with style, by offering quality ready-to-wear clothing at various prices and providing adjustments individually—a departure from the custom-made tradition of the time.

In the store’s full-page first advertisement in the Dallas Morning News, two days before the opening, Al Neiman wrote:

“As well as the Store of Fashions we will be known as the Store of Quality and Superior Values.

We shall be hypercritical in our selections. Only the finest productions of the best garment makers are good enough for us. Every article of apparel shown will bear evidence, in its touches of exclusiveness, in its chic and grace and splendid finish, to the cleverest designing and the most skillful and thorough workmanship.”

Buying the Best, Finest Merchandise: Taste and Attention to Detail

On top of the $25,000 that the three received for selling their successful business in Georgia, Herbert and Carrie reached out for help to family members who invested in the store, eventually allowing them to start with about $50,000. According to Jerrie Marcus Smith, $12,000 was spent furnishing the store, and $9,000 was paid in rent. With $17,000 left, Carrie Marcus Neiman went to New York to buy the finest ready-to-wear clothes to sell at the Neiman-Marcus store. “Within a month of Neiman Marcu’s opening,” Jerrie wrote, “the entire stock of merchandise had sold out” (A Girl Named Carrie, p. 61).

In his book Merchant Princes, the grandson of one of A. Harris & Company’s founders, Leon Harris, lamented that his grandfather did not retain Carrie as an employee and described her time in his grandfather’s store in the following terms:

“There she revealed a sure sense of fashion not only extraordinary for an uneducated and untraveled woman not yet twenty, but one never equaled either by her brother or her nephew Stanley and not surpassed by any other American retailer.” (p. 161)

Jerrie Marcus Smith explained that Carrie read a lot of European newspapers, which helped her learn about European fashion. But when it came time to buy, she did not necessarily follow trends, trusting her own judgment instead.

“Instead of relying on the tried and true, Carrie courageously bought the newest and most sophisticated styles, paying special attention to fine fabrics, clean lines and superb workmanship. She saw her salary more than double, to $25 a week, making her one of the highest paid women in Dallas.” (A Girl Named Carrie, pp. 41, 43)

In his autobiography Minding the Store, Stanley Marcus described Carrie as “an extraordinary woman”:

“She possessed a queenly quality which she carried as if to the manner born. She and my father were born with an appreciation for beauty and fine quality. They were both perfectionists early in their lives, and concurred with Oscar Wilde’s declaration, ‘I have the simplest tastes. I am easily satisfied with the best.’” (p. 10)

Carrie had an innate skill for discerning the most stylish fashion and predicting what would soon be in style—even though she insisted that nobody could predict fashion, not even herself. This demonstrated a balance between confidence in her capacity and modesty.

She didn’t hesitate to make bold choices in her selection for Neiman-Marcus either and to go against trends if she felt those were mistaken. In the years to come, she would continue to shop for clothes in New York, but also in Paris and London, bringing to the then-still little town of Dallas clothes and styles that were unseen outside of New York in the United States.

Neiman-Marcus also developed excellent relations with its manufacturers. Indeed, Carrie would often request adjustments in what fabric or button to use, the nuance of a garment’s color, or other details, if she thought the clothes she was looking at were not perfect. Manufacturers learned with experience that she was always right and agreed to make the changes to their products, even if it cost them more per unit, knowing that both would benefit from her requests.

Neiman-Marcus understood the win-win relationship between manufacturers and retailers and insisted on treating its manufacturers fairly. In the documentary The Store, Stanley says that many retail buyers are “unethical and unfair” with their manufacturers and “promise them the moon and deliver nothing.” Not so with Neiman-Marcus, which understood that, one day, retailers might need manufacturers for a special order—and the good or bad treatment would be reciprocal.

Herbert, Carrie, and Al were perfectionists. An anecdote related to the store’s opening demonstrates their commitment to excellence in a funny way.

In Minding the Store, Stanley relates that in its first advertisement, the store promised visitors on the opening day “a handsome Souvenir … worthy of the offerings of the new store.” But he adds that later, the founders recognized that the gift was “pure kitsch, causing them no end of embarrassment.” (p. 6)

Uncompromising on Quality in Good and Hard Times

The store went through several events that could have terminated its success and shut its doors, not the least of which was the Great Depression, which led to many stores having to close. Tolbert quotes the then-store general manager, Robert Allen Ross, recalling Herbert explaining at that time:

“We're going to keep on buying more than we sell. We've got to help keep afloat the manufacturers who make our fine goods. And we have an obligation to our customers not to buy inferior goods. So we're going to keep right on buying just like things were normal even though we lose money by the thousands.” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, pp. 69-70)

At that time, to face a diminishing demand for goods in general that fewer people could afford, many stores decided to take a shortcut and cut on quality. Not so with Neiman-Marcus, which insisted on keeping its high standards of quality, even if that meant the store had to tighten its belt—so to speak—in other ways. In Minding the Store, Stanley recalled that salaries, first of executives and then of employees, had to be reduced after sales declined.

Again, competitors predicted failure, but the founders’ decision paid off eventually: Neiman-Marcus would make a loss only two years during the Great Depression but “ended 1936 with a record volume of sales of $4,500,000, a net profit of a quarter of a million dollars, and an increase of 105% in the number of charge accounts as compared to the number at the beginning of the Depression” (Minding the Store, p. 76).

The argument has been that the Marcuses (Al left the business in 1928) favored quality and service over profits—competitors argued that they could have made much more money during the Great Depression by compromising on quality—but this is missing an important point. Most likely, Herbert was also thinking of long-term sustainability—and profits—for the business rather than short-term, but eventually short-lived, gains.

A bit of luck was not foreign to their success. In the first third of the 20th century, major oil fields were found in Texas, first near Beaumont, then in West Texas, and, in the 1930s, in East Texas, notably the East Texas Oil Field. Those discoveries would participate in tremendous growth for Texas and… for Neiman-Marcus. Some formerly modest Texans found themselves with sudden fortunes and wanted to know how to spend it best. Neiman-Marcus had a reputation for quality and sophistication. Let’s not attribute the store’s success to luck only, though. By making the decision not to compromise on excellence during the Depression, the store was offering clothing of unique quality when it was needed.

As a business becomes successful, there is often a desire and an encouragement to grow. Over the years, the Marcuses did grow the store by adding floors to their existing building and by expanding the merchandise they were offering. But Herbert and Carrie long remained reluctant to open additional stores. The reason was simple: With one store, in which they could be present 100% of the time it was open, they could make sure customers would be treated in the way that made Neiman-Marcus successful—but they couldn’t be in two (or more!) places at once, and hence feared that opening additional stores would negatively impact excellence and customer service.

In 1951, Neiman-Marcus opened a second floor in the suburb of Dallas—not too far from the flagship store downtown—and was able to maintain quality. However, it would not be until 1971, after the merger with Broadway-Hale, that the company would open its first store out of state.

To quote Jeff Bezos, “Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.” The perception of the Neiman-Marcus brand reveals how successful the store was very early on in its pursuit of excellence. Stories abound about the elegance and taste associated with the Neiman-Marcus label or the references to “Neiman-Marcus women” as stylish, elegant women. Frank Tolbert explained:

“Neiman-Marcus is an adjective—and a superlative one. An unusually well-groomed woman, who rhymes tastefully with her clothes, is likely to be described as ‘very Neiman-Marcus-ish!’” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 2)

Not only did Neiman-Marcus bring high standards, but it also insisted on higher standards than the competition, which resulted in the competition having to follow if they wanted to stay in business (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 82), which benefited non-Neiman-Marcus consumers as well. This is, of course, one of the benefits of competition.

Customer Satisfaction

Of the two cardinal values that made Neiman-Marcus one of the biggest Texas success stories, customer satisfaction undeniably complements excellence.

The Store’s Mission and its Second Advertisement: Serving a Community

Neiman-Marcus’ mission was not to serve just affluent customers but rather a community of women.

Throughout the existence of the store, the family members insisted on that mission, a somewhat tricky one as they had to carefully strike the right balance in offering both luxury products for wealthy customers and high-quality products that less wealthy customers could afford—and encourage both groups of customers to patronize the same store at the same time.

The first advertisement for the store, right before its opening, explained that “the selection will meet every taste, every occasion and every price [emphasis added].” However, Jerrie Marcus Smith recounts that many customers were persuaded that the merchandise would be too expensive for them. A few days after the opening, Al published a second advertisement:

“Within days, Al was forced to put out another advertisement, which amounted to a correction, stating clearly that, although the Store did offer the highest quality merchandise, it was, nevertheless, affordable. He explained that the women's garments being offered were available at several price points.” (A Girl Named Carrie, p. 69)

In Minding the Store, Stanley confirmed that they were able to do both, and that “there is a thin market for $50,000 furs, and if we depended on the sale of them for any substantial portion of our volume, we would have a very small business” (pp. 165, 167-168).

Neiman-Marcus wanted to create customer satisfaction first and foremost, which was the purpose of a good sale to the Marcuses.

Attending to Customers and Driving Profits: Flawless Customer Service

Herbert, Carrie, and Stanley were always available for customers—consistently. And if they were busy minding the store in some other capacity that didn’t involve helping a customer, they would immediately drop that activity to put the customer first. Herbert and Carrie were always in the store advising customers. Tolbert recounts:

“[O]ne morning several years ago the board of directors was considering building the branch store in Preston Hollow. The phone rang. One of Mrs. Carrie Neiman's customers of 40-year standing was looking for her on the second floor.

Aunt Carrie didn't have to make any excuses. The other directors understood. She ran for her customer. The meeting ended. The $1,600,000 expansion in the suburbs was forgotten for that day.” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, pp. 6-7)

Stanley Marcus learned from and followed in the footsteps of his father and aunt. He tells how Carrie taught him the importance of attending to customers’ special requests: “If we don’t care of these unusual requests from women who are depending on us, they might drop in to a competitive store in New York, and then we would lose them for good.” (Minding the Store, p. 63)

Stanley also went to extra lengths to fix the occasional error or issue that Neiman-Marcus customers faced with the store’s products—or to deliver on special requests that had nothing to do with the store.

The Marcuses were committed to service, which, in the retail industry, makes a world of difference. Stanley wrote abundantly on salesmanship in his Viewpoints—what to do and how later customers (in general) faced the loss of the tradition of service.

Employees were also asked to keep information about what their customers bought and little details such as birthdays or anniversaries, which could then be used by the salespersons to call the customer and give them an occasion to bring them to the store. This sales practice helped build relationships between the store and its customers—a win-win. Who doesn’t appreciate being wished Happy Birthday, or that the person you trust as your personal stylist remembers your tastes and what products you bought in which color? It shows interest, attention, and active listening. It benefits both parties.

Before he died, Stanley left notes related to the publication of the cookbook Neiman Marcus Cooks, in which he reiterated the importance of serving customers promptly, and that they liked “to be known by name and have their habits and taste preferences recognized.”

The Marcuses put customers first. Neiman-Marcus’ goal wasn’t to sell just about anything for sale in the store to any customer that entered the store. The Marcuses understood it would not have worked out—for the customers or the store. The Marcuses were aiming for win-win transactions. They would advise a customer to buy a cheaper product if they thought it suited the customer better according to his or her taste or situation. In return, customers trusted the store had their interests in mind, too. And they came back.

Tolbert quotes a customer explaining:

“I was given the warmest, most efficient, intelligent attention. Wherever I turned I found charming, thoughtful salesmen and women. They weren’t selling but suggesting. And each one had an ideal, perfect suggestion.” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 9)

The documentary The Store shows a Neiman-Marcus manager stating that the purpose of Neiman-Marcus remained “to make sales” and that it is “the only purpose in the building.” Stanley reports in Minding the Store that the founders had explained to their employees that they wanted “to sell satisfaction, not just merchandise.” The two statements are not contradictory. Neiman-Marcus’ mission is to sell its customers merchandise that will satisfy them—and to make a profit in the process. And it worked, as customers asked for the Marcuses for all sorts of advice—and came back to buy more merchandise.

Ambition

Any new, especially innovative, enterprise can hit walls and face bad luck—it’s a part of life, but for a business, it also tests how badly you want your idea to succeed. Neiman-Marcus faced several setbacks, but the determination of the family to make the business successful is one reason why it is still in existence more than a hundred years later. Herbert, Carrie, and Al were confident that their project would succeed—but they also worked hard to make it happen.

Against Naysayers, Fires, and Economic Turmoil: Confidence, Determination, and Resilience

The three founders started by facing the unavoidable people who try to discourage you from pursuing your dream: their competitors before they first opened and some family members after the first fire—although the latter quickly rallied behind them after it was obvious the trio would not give up. Because at the time Neiman-Marcus opened, Dallas still had almost the feel of a frontier town, Tolbert recounts that “to merchants of the Dallas of yesterday, the idea of Neiman-Marcus seemed pretentious” (Neiman-Marcus, Texas, p. 11). It’s hard to know if Neiman-Marcus’ competitors were intuitively perceiving the extraordinary competition that it would become or if, blind to change and complacent about their success, they did not take the three young, ambitious founders seriously.

Neiman-Marcus also faced two devastating fires that they decided to turn into opportunities.

Just five years after the store opened, a fire destroyed the entire building located at Elm and Murphy and the stock of merchandise. Herbert Marcus decided this would be the occasion to find a bigger building to give the store more space and expand the number of departments. In 15 days, Neiman-Marcus was back in business at Main and Ervay.

Many years later, in 1964, Stanley was woken up in the middle of the night when another fire destroyed a large part of the Neiman-Marcus building and its merchandise just before Christmas—a period of essential sales for the store. In just a few hours, Stanley assembled his team and resources to find a temporary place to continue doing business and provide the store’s customers with the Christmas gifts they would inevitably shop for. All customers who had pending orders were contacted. Brides whose wedding dresses were destroyed by the fire were quickly offered the opportunity to come pick a new one. No fatalism. No victim mentality. Stanley just did what needed to be done to keep Neiman-Marcus in business. Just grit and determination.

A temporary location opened three days later. And just a year and a half after the fire, the Neiman-Marcus building had been repaired and could reopen—bigger and offering new merchandise.

Neiman-Marcus also experienced economic turmoil, including the Panic of 1907, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and two world wars.

Innovation

From Custom-Made to Ready-to-Wear Clothing

When Neiman-Marcus opened to be the best ready-to-wear women's outfit store, the custom was for people to have their clothes made especially for them. In Minding the Store, Stanley explained:

“Prior to the turn of the century, fine clothes for women were all made to order. If a woman had enough money, she went to Europe to have her clothes made; if she didn't have that much, she had them made in New York; if she didn't have that much, she went to the local dressmaker.” (p. 11)

The store’s concept went against the tradition of how clothes were made at the time. They were very aware of that, but they wanted to bring something new and original to the market—and to improve it in the process. Neiman-Marcus decided it would bring Europe to Dallas women. The store’s first ad explained:

“We will improve ready-to-wear merchandising. … We began our intended innovation at the very foundation; that is to say, with the builders of Women's Garments. We have secured exclusive lines which have never been shown in Texas before, garments that stand in a class alone as to character and fit.”

Neiman-Marcus did not carry fabrics used to create women’s clothes on demand; they offered the best and finest ready-to-wear the country—and, of course, Dallas—could find and simply provided adjustments for customers.

Promotion and Marketing

Another significant innovation that Stanley Marcus brought to the store was exceptional promotion and marketing.

On top of advertisements that would tactfully and intelligently promote garments for both the richest and more modest clients side by side—Neiman-Marcus was the “first retail store in Texas to mount a major national advertising campaign” (Neiman Marcus by Coerver)—Stanley launched a series of promotional events that would give Neiman-Marcus extensive coverage in the media and international renown. That was another way to compete with New York in the fashion arena. He and Carrie came up with the idea of having weekly fashion shows during the Great Depression, in part to keep people simply coming to the store to see beautiful fashion. It was also a way to put Dallas on the map of fashion in the United States, and compete with New York department stores. Stanley built on that idea to reach new levels of promotion for department stores.

In 1938, he added the Neiman-Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion to the fashion shows, recognizing American and European designers. This definitely helped put Dallas on the map of fashion and, again, promote the store, which would give the award to, and hence receive, the likes of Grace Kelly, Coco Chanel, or Christian Dior. A few years later, the store would also award a similar prize to a customer.

In 1957, he launched the Fortnights, which featured a country and its products for two weeks in the store. These involved tremendous preparations with the target country, building relationships with the state and local producers to convince them that it would benefit both the country—and its businesses—and Neiman-Marcus—and Dallas. This, again, gave international coverage to Neiman-Marcus. The idea started as a way to counter sales slowdown in the fall, right before the holidays. Fortnights were originally made to fill that gap but generated much more benefits for Neiman-Marcus, not the least being worldwide attention. The very first country featured was France.

Stanley also expanded the store’s Christmas catalog to offer “exotic” or incredible gifts, and later “his and her” gifts that would grab people’s and the media’s attention so much that it would, again, create enormous publicity. Some of the items were “his and her airplanes” or “his and her miniature submarines.”

Neiman-Marcus also came up with the idea of offering personalized gift wrapping. It became so popular that some people who didn’t live in Dallas would order at Neiman-Marcus a product they could find where they lived just to have it gift-wrapped at Neiman-Marcus and sent to them wrapped.

Family and Community

Neiman-Marcus was a family business, but sometimes family businesses do not always find unity in the ties that link the founders and employees—or the family members between each other. Al Neiman, Carrie’s husband, sold his stake to Herbert, in part following disagreements between him and both Herbert and Stanley.

However, all the literature on the store mentions the strong ties that linked the Marcuses. All of Herbert’s sons ended up working in the store. Even Herbert and Carrie’s parents got a role in the business. Herbert and Carrie’s father sat at the door and greeted clients. Carrie, especially after her divorce from Al Neiman, constantly pampered all family members.

Both Herbert and Stanley were very active in the Dallas community.

According to the Jewish Museum of the American West, Herbert “served as a Director of the Dallas Museum of Art … as President and Director of the Republican National Bank & Trust Company, and the Dallas Joint Land Bank … was a Founder, Director, and Treasurer of the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the primary fundraiser for the establishment of the Southern Methodist University … a member of the Executive Committee of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and an active member on the Welfare Board of the City of Dallas.” He also “became President of Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, and a chief founder of the Southwestern division of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.”

According to Southern Methodist University, Stanley “served as director and president of the Dallas Citizens Council, co-chairman for the Dallas Interracial Council for Business Opportunity, and a member of the Commission of Race and Housing. In addition, Mr. Marcus was president of the Dallas Symphony Society and the Dallas Art Association and served as a member of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the Dallas Council on World Affairs.”

Conclusion

In their first advertisement, right before the store opened, Herbert, Carrie, and Al listed what they aimed to accomplish with Neiman-Marcus: excellence and quality, customer satisfaction, innovation, and service to an entire community. The store delivered very early and continued achieving these values and bringing them to its customers relentlessly throughout the decades. The store has been in business for nearly 117 years.

Neiman Marcus will remain associated with Texas not just because it was created in Texas—and only had one then two Texas store(s) for the longest time—but also because it helped put Dallas and Texas on the map, it is linked to the state's oil history, it revolutionized fashion, it became a business model for the best customer service (I wonder how much of today's client-centric businesses, such as Amazon, have learned from Neiman Marcus), and it faced hardships with grit and resilience. It likely made Texas proud—as much as it made women proud to wear Neiman Marcus.

As we read more stories of achievement in Texas, we will be able to narrow down the values and virtues that are regularly seen as essential to achievement. I’ll take a first guess that at least excellence, ambition, hard work, and grit will come out as essential in many of these stories.

Sources

Neiman-Marcus, Texas: The Story of the Proud Dallas Store by Frank X. Tolbert, Henry Holt and Company, 1953.

Minding the Store by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 1997/1974.

A Girl Named Carrie: The Visionary Who Created Neiman Marcus and Set the Standard for Fashion by Jerrie Marcus Smith, University of North Texas Press, 2021.

The Store by Director Frederick Wiseman (1983).

A Taste of Texas, Jane Trahey (Ed.), Random House, 1949.

Neiman Marcus Cooks: Recipes for Beloved Classics and Updated Favorites by Kevin Garvin, John Harrisson, and Jody Horton, Rizzoli, 2014.

Neiman-Marcus store advertisement, Dallas Morning News (September 8, 1907).

The Viewpoints of Stanley Marcus: A Ten-Year Perspective by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 1995.

Stanley Marcus From A-Z: Viewpoints, Volume II by Stanley Marcus, University of North Texas Press, 2000.

Merchant Princes: An Intimate History of Jewish Families Who Built Great Department Stores by Leon A. Harris, Berkley Publishing Corporation, 1980.

Neiman Marcus: Last of the Merchant Kings, Biography, 1997.

Original Site of Neiman-Marcus, the Historical Marker Database, 2023/2020.

Dallas, TX, Texas State Historical Association, 2023/1952.

Dallas, Texas Population 2024, World Population Review, n.d.

Wildcatters: The True Texas Oil History by Peter Simek, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, March 9, 2020.

Neiman Marcus by Don M. Coerver, Texas State Historical Association, 2020/1976.

The Jewish Fashion Pioneers of Neiman-Marcus, Dallas, Texas, Jewish Museum of the American West, 2014.

Neiman Marcus has been the heart of downtown Dallas for 113 years by Maria Halkias, Dallas Morning News, May 7, 2020

Stanley Marcus, J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award, Office of the Provost, Southern Methodist University, n.d.

Made In Texas: Why Was The Neiman Marcus Fortnight Event So Cool? by Lance Avery Morgan, Curated Texan, March 24, 2023.