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| Fred Hofheinz | |
|---|---|
 Fred Hofheinz campaigning at the University of Houston circa 1970–1980 | |
| 55th Mayor of Houston | |
| In office January 2, 1974 – January 2, 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Louie Welch |
| Succeeded by | Jim McConn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1938-03-15) March 15, 1938 (age 86) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Linda Hickerson |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Roy Hofheinz Jr. (brother) |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Alma mater | University of Texas (BA, MA, PhD) University of Houston (JD) |
| Profession | Attorney |
James Fred Hofheinz (born March 15, 1938) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 55th mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1978.
Hofheinz's father, Roy, was mayor of the city in the 1950s.
Early life
Hofheinz graduated from Lamar High School in Houston, where he was a championship debater and also lettered in track and field. He attended the University of Texas, earning a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in 1960 and continued at Texas to earn both Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in economics. While an undergraduate at Texas, he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Hofheinz earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston in 1964.
Career
In 1974, Hofheinz was named one of "200 Faces for the Future" by Time.
After his term as mayor, Hofheinz practiced law in Houston. He also served as a board member at Lucas Energy, an independent crude oil and gas company. In 1971, Hofheinz co-founded the closed circuit television company Top Rank. Hofheinz ran again for mayor in 1989, but was defeated by the incumbent mayor, Kathy Whitmire.
In 1994, Hofheinz was the sole shareholder of Top Rank when it attempted to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves and move them to New Orleans. The deal fell through when NBA owners voted unanimously to reject the sale, citing concerns about the firmness of Top Rank's finances. In 1999, he was indicted in the state of Louisiana as part of the investigation of former governor Edwin Edwards. Hofheinz was one of three businessmen (one a longtime associate of Edwards) indicted on charges of bribery, with Hofheinz delivering bribes to Cecil Brown (a longtime associate of Edwards) meant to advance projects (as overseen by Hofheinz) such as building a juvenile prison and the effort to move the Timberwolves to New Orleans. On November 21, 2000, he reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that saw him plead guilty in failing to report a felony in exchange for all other charges being dropped; he was issued a fine of $5,000 and sentenced to one year of probation.
Hofheinz currently resides in Houston, and was an attorney in the law firm of Williams, Birnberg & Andersen L.L.P.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byLouis Welch | Mayor of Houston, Texas 1974–1978 |
Succeeded byJim McConn |
References
- "A Houston Timeline 1972-1985". Houston Art History. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ Fred Hofheinz profile Archived February 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- Hofheinz profile, at University of North Texas
- Special Section: 200 Faces for the Future, Time, July 15, 1974.
- Reuters press release
- Roesler, Bob (June 7, 1994). "Top Rank files to move Wolves". The Times-Picayune. p. E4.
- Weiner, Jay (June 16, 1994). "Wolves to stay put, for now; In stunning upset, NBA blocks sale of team". Star Tribune. p. 1A.
- https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-30-mn-39000-story.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/23/us/national-news-briefs-guilty-plea-in-bribe-case-for-houston-ex-mayor.html
External links
- Hofheinz, Mayor Fred and Frank Michel. Mayor Fred Hofheinz Oral History, Houston Oral History Project, February 11, 2008.
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