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t m c p u l s e | m a r c h 2 02 0 31 acquired at the end of 1919—to an adjacent wing that included 72 addi- tional beds. "The hospital was in dire straits when Josie came along in 1924," said Bryant Boutwell, DrPH, a Texas Medical Center historian. "They were a great hospital, had great phy- sicians and were respected for the care they gave and they even had a nursing school, but the finances were terrible. … They were just not making ends meet." With no formal education beyond high school, Roberts relied on her can-do attitude, wit and nat- ural aptitude for business. Known for her squeaky voice and thick Southeastern Texas accent, she wasn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with male colleagues, board members, patrons and religious leaders. "The first administrator was the son of the Methodist bishop at the time and he always said his greatest accomplishment was hiring Josie Roberts," Boom said. "He left because every time a patient died, it was too tough for him. After that, a Methodist minister came along to be the second adminis- trator and [Roberts] was his chief clerk—kind of second in command, an expanded secretarial role, almost, but she did a lot of the nuts and bolts of management." Around 1930, a letter from inde- pendent auditors said that Roberts really knew what she was doing and recommended the hospital give her more authority. "By then, we're already in the midst of the Great Depression. In the latter part of 1931, all of the banks in Houston were on the verge of closing and Jesse Jones [famed Houston politician and entrepreneur, who served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1940 to 1945] brought them all together to do what they needed to do to stay afloat," Boom said. "Towards the end of 1931, the hospital is broke. … It had been losing money throughout its history and was essentially making do on donations. … In 1931, the min- ister decides the hospital is going to fail and he leaves." Left without a leader, the hospi- tal teetered on the verge of collapse. On Jan. 1, 1932, the board named Roberts the superintendent of Methodist Hospital. "I give the board the credit for doing that, but … she was basically running the hospital behind the scenes anyway," Boom said. " The board was smart enough to give her a shot. … Once she got the shot, boy she ran with it and she led the hospital for 22 years." A tough decision In 1932, many women working outside the home in the United States were employed as teachers, seamstresses, domestic servants, and clerical and factory workers, according to the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor. "It was very unusual to put a woman in charge of a hospital in those days," said Boutwell, a former professor of Oslerian medicine and faculty member of the McGovern Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. "Men were in medicine and ran hospitals for the most part. The only major roles for women might have been to run a nursing school. To elevate [Roberts] to superintendent of Methodist Hospital was quite a statement—maybe a statement of confidence and trust in her and maybe a statement of the Methodist Church in women who could get jobs done." ➟ In Downtown Houston Medical Center • Over 7,500 sq. ft. of event space • Spacious guest rooms • Bar 9 Rooftop Lounge • Breathtaking views of the city 6633 Travis Street | Houston, TX 77030 | 713-313-4000 | HoustonPlaza.Hilton.com Newly Renovated! Southwest Central Church of Christ 4011 w. bellfort | swcentral.org @ southwestcentral church Wednesdays 6-8p - cafe grace Sundays 9a - silence & solitude 10a - collec;ve gathering 11a - small groups With simplicity and hope, we are a congrega;on next to Houston's Medical Center, endeavoring to love God and love our neighbors well. You are welcome here.