Corpus Christi in Nueces County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Clara Driscoll, the Driscoll Foundation & Driscoll Children's Hospital
Photographed by James Hulse, September 1, 2021
1. Clara Driscoll, the Driscoll Foundation & Driscoll Children's Hospital Marker
Inscription.
Clara Driscoll, the Driscoll Foundation and Driscoll Children's Hospital. . Clara Driscoll, a descendant of an early Texas colonist and veteran, philanthropist and public figure, inherited her family's large estate when her brother, Robert Driscoll, Jr., died in 1929. The estate included real estate, oil and gas development, ranch properties and a number of other civic enterprises. Educated in private schools and abroad, Clara followed her family's philanthropic interests when she returned to Texas in 1899. Known as "The Savior of the Alamo", Clara used her family's financial capacities and her political connections to preserve historic sites in Texas. She served on the Democratic National Committee and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and supported numerous clubs and organizations, including the Texas Fine Arts Association. Under Clara's direction, the family's holdings grew. She built the Robert Driscoll Hotel on Upper Broadway and matched donations to establish the Naval Air Station - Corpus Christi., When Clara passed away on July 17, 1945, she left the family's wealth to a fund for the creation of a charitable hospital for indigent children, along with the creation of the Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll, Jr. Foundation, named for her parents and brother. The Driscoll Foundation Children's Hospital opened on February 22, 1953. In 1970, the foundation changed the hospital's status from charitable to not-for-profit, allowing more patients the care that was needed. The hospital was the first to perform an organ transplant and the first to provide emergency services exclusively for children. Over the years, the hospital has grown and expanded, and continues to provide care for children and patients in South Texas, just as Clara envisioned. , Gift of , Fran and Joe Fulton
Clara Driscoll, a descendant of an early Texas colonist and veteran, philanthropist and public figure, inherited her family's large estate when her brother, Robert Driscoll, Jr., died in 1929. The estate included real estate, oil and gas development, ranch properties and a number of other civic enterprises. Educated in private schools and abroad, Clara followed her family's philanthropic interests when she returned to Texas in 1899. Known as "The Savior of the Alamo", Clara used her family's financial capacities and her political connections to preserve historic sites in Texas. She served on the Democratic National Committee and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and supported numerous clubs and organizations, including the Texas Fine Arts Association. Under Clara's direction, the family's holdings grew. She built the Robert Driscoll Hotel on Upper Broadway and matched donations to establish the Naval Air Station - Corpus Christi.
When Clara passed away on July 17, 1945, she left the family's wealth to a fund for the creation of a charitable hospital for indigent children, along with the creation of the Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll, Jr. Foundation, named for her parents and brother. The Driscoll Foundation Children's Hospital opened on February 22, 1953. In 1970, the foundation changed the hospital's
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status from charitable to not-for-profit, allowing more patients the care that was needed. The hospital was the first to perform an organ transplant and the first to provide emergency services exclusively for children. Over the years, the hospital has grown and expanded, and continues to provide care for children and patients in South Texas, just as Clara envisioned.
Gift of Fran and Joe Fulton
Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17239.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Science & Medicine • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is February 22, 1953.
Location. 27° 44.945′ N, 97° 23.131′ W. Marker is in Corpus Christi, Texas, in Nueces County. It is at the intersection of South Alameda Street and The Driscoll Way on South Alameda Street. The marker is located in front of the Driscoll Children's Hospital. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3533 South Alameda Street, Corpus Christi TX 78411, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Clara Driscoll, businesswoman, philanthropist, and historic preservationist, was born on April 2, 1881, to Robert and Julia (Fox) Driscoll in St. Mary's, Texas, near the site of present Bayside. Her ancestors were among the Irish Catholic pioneers who had settled the area between the Nueces and Guadalupe rivers, and both of her grandfathers had fought in the Texas Revolution. By 1890 her father had amassed a multimillion-dollar empire in ranching, banking, and commercial developments centered in the Corpus Christi area. Source: The Handbook of Texas
(Submitted on October 1, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed by James Hulse, September 1, 2021
3. The view of the marker and hospital from the driveway into the hospital
Public Domain - Bain News Service, 1910/1915
4. Clara Driscoll, Texas philanthropist
Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,058 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 1, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
