Gov. John B. Connally, Jr. Home

Houston architect Ernest L. Shult designed this mid-century modern house for his own residence in 1959. The home, sited on a triangular lot in the River Oaks neighborhood, is representative of the contemporary style popular in the post-war years. The house has had alterations over the years including a two-story addition on the north side. Prominent features of the house include its asymmetrical façade, white stucco and unornamented exterior wall, multiple roof sections, portions of the front façade extending forward and varying in height, and a large expanse of windowless walls. John Connally, Jr. (1917-1993) and his wife, Idanell “Nellie” Connally (1919-2006), moved here in January 1969 after he served three terms as Governor of Texas. During his residence at this location, Connally was U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and campaigned for the U.S. presidency in 1980. The couple sold the house in 1984. John Connally, Jr. Is known for his extensive career in politics. He was secretary to congressman Lyndon B. Johnson in 1939, served for several years as Johnson’s aide, was Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy in 1961, and was elected Governor of Gexas in 1962. When President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, Connally, a passenger in the car, was shot and seriously wounded. Among his accomplishments as governor were improvements in the areas of education, government reform, historic preservation and the state’s tourism industry. He joined Houston law firm Vinson, Elkins, Searls and Connally in February 1969 and became President Richard Nixon’s Secretary of the Treasury in 1971. Governor and Mrs. Connally are buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Gov. John B. Connally, Jr. Home is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2012. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7433, -95.4262 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is GARDEN OF THE RESSURECTION (cemetery), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Forum of Civics, Clayton, William L., Summer House, and Forum of Civics.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017100. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.