View source for T.C. Jester

Dr. '''Thomas C. Jester''' (1884–1950) was a [[Baptist]] [[pastor]] and civic leader who impacted the formative years of [[Houston, TX]] through his leadership on the Houston City Planning Commission and the board of the Baptist Hospital. His name is bestowed on T.C. Jester Boulevard and T.C. Jester Park in Houston.
==Biography==
Born in [[Camp Hill, Alabama]] on November 5, 1884, to John and Nancy Talbot Jester, T.C. Jester attended [[Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas]] after graduating from Howard College (now Samford University) near Birmingham, AL. He was called to lead the Baptist Temple in the [[Houston Heights]] in 1927. He lived in Houston with his wife and children until his death in 1950 at age 65.<ref name="JesterGrave">Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52745874</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sloan |first=Anne |date=2009 |title=Houston Heights |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NPIwPnYSKvIC&dq=jester%20baptist%20heights&pg=PA47 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn= 9780738571188|access-date=July 27, 2014 }}</ref>
Jester is buried in Brookside Memorial Park in Houston.<ref name="JesterGrave" />
==City planning==
Jester was a leading member of the Houston City Planning Commission formed in 1940 by city ordinance.<ref>Marks Hinton. "The Story Behind the Streets." {{cite web |url=http://www.heritagesociety.org/Hinton-Names%20of%20Houston%20Streets%20071907.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-12-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114144128/http://www.heritagesociety.org/Hinton-Names%20of%20Houston%20Streets%20071907.pdf |archive-date=2014-11-14 }}</ref> The previous commission's 1929 Major Street Plan lost momentum after the committee was dissolved due to lack of funding.<ref>"History of Shepherd to Sabine Area." http://buffalobayoupark.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HistoryofShepherdtoSabinearea.pdf</ref> The 1942 plan proposed a $600,000 bond initiative to fund street widening which was adopted by the Mayor and City Council and addressed the growing problem of motor vehicle congestion. The plan continues to impact today's Houston roadways, including [[Telephone Road]], [[Allen Parkway]], [[Memorial Drive, Houston|Memorial Drive]], and [[Interstate 610 (Texas)|Interstate 610]], then called Defense Loop.<ref>"The Major Street Plan for Houston and Its Vicinity, 1942" https://archive.org/stream/cu31924024404612/cu31924024404612_djvu.txt</ref>
Among its recommendations, the plan promoted development of White Oak Drive. White Oak Drive was later renamed T. C. Jester Boulevard after Jester's death.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kever |first=Jeannie |date=January 27, 2008 |title=Quirky Street Names Offer Look Into Houston's History |url=http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy-news/article/Quirky-street-names-offer-look-into-Houston-s-1784203.php
|newspaper=Houston Chronicle |access-date=July 27, 2014 }}</ref> T. C. Jester Park later took its name from its proximity to T. C. Jester Boulevard.
==Baptist Church==
Jester was the fourth pastor of Baptist Temple in the [[Houston Heights]] and led the congregation for over 20 years from 1927 to his death in January 1950.<ref>"Baptist Temple History" http://www.baptisttemple.org/about-us2</ref> Under his stewardship, the church expanded its congregation and infrastructure. New buildings were constructed on Yale Street and Jester led a congregation of more than 1,500 individuals. Due to changing demographics, the Baptist Temple has since downsized.<ref>{{cite news |last=Henson |first=George |date=June 20, 2013 |title=Houston Church Downsizes with Purpose |url=https://www.baptiststandard.com/news/texas/15201-houston-church-downsizes-with-purpose
|newspaper=The Baptist Standard |access-date=July 27, 2014 }}</ref>
==References==
<references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jester, T.C.}}
[[Category:1884 births]]
[[Category:Clergy from Houston]]
[[Category:1950 deaths]]