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Margaret
Murphy Ezzell,
civic leader
and historic
preservationist,
was born on
November 11,
1902, in
Hillsboro,
Texas, the
daughter of
Joshua Elmer
and Linnie
(Lovejoy)
Murphy. She
was active in
civic affairs
in Port
Arthur,
Beaumont,
Nederland, and
Port Neches.
From 1962 to
1972 she was a
member and
vice
chairwoman of
the Jefferson
County
Historical
Survey
Committee. In
1962 she was
coorganizer of
the Port
Arthur
Historical
Museum and
chaired the
building
committee that
oversaw
construction
of the first
public library
building in
Port Neches.
She was also
actively
involved in
the planning
and building
of a clubhouse
for the
Nechesland
Study Club. In
1972 she was
the state
coordinator of
activities to
commemorate
the hundredth
anniversary of
the battle of
Sabine Pass.qv
From
1961 to 1976
Ezzell served
on the
Battleship Texas
Commission.
During her
tenure she
gathered many
of the
historic items
that were on
the ship
originally and
opened a
museum on the
ship to house
them. In 1966
she became a
charter member
of the
Historic Naval
Ships of North
America, an
organization
of groups that
maintain
historic
vessels, and
in 1975 she
was elected
president. She
also located
and presented
to the
legislature
the reverse
side of the
Great Seal of
the state of
Texas.
Margaret
Ezzell was an
active member
of the
Daughters of
the American
Revolution,
the United
Daughters of
the
Confederacy,
and the
Daughters of
the Republic
of Texas.qqv
She served as
president-general
of the DRT
from 1961 to
1963 and as
registrar
general from
1971 to 1973.
From 1963
through 1969
she chaired
the DRT
projects
committee.
Under her
leadership the
Long Barrack
of the Alamo,
which is
administered
by the DRT,
was restored
and a museum
established
there. She
raised funds
for the
restoration
and directed
the planning
and completion
of the museum.
From 1965 to
1969 she
served on the
DRT Alamo
committee.
In
1966 the Texas
Historical
Foundation
honored Mrs.
Ezzell for her
work in
historic
preservation,
and in 1970
the Texas
State
Genealogical
Society
recognized her
for the
preservation
of historical
documents. The
Sons of the
Republic of
Texasqv
awarded her a
Medal of
Appreciation
in 1970 for
her
contributions
to the
preservation
of American
history.
Ezzell
was married to
Asa Murray
Ezzell, an
executive with
the Texaco oil
company. She
died at her
home in Port
Neches on
October 24,
1987, and was
buried in
Forest Park
Lawndale
Cemetery in
Houston. Her
large library
of Texana was
given to the
Sam Houston
Regional
Library and
Research
Centerqv
at Liberty.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Houston Chronicle,
November 6,
1987.
John
H. Murphy
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