This month we celebrate Women’s History Month, and Houston Methodist pioneer Ella Fondren (1880-1982).
In 1939, women held the lowest paying jobs and were not respected in the workplace, but Houston Methodist influential female board member Ella Fondren began to make her indelible mark. The board of trustees asked Fondren to take her husband Walter’s seat on the board following his unexpected death. She was never shy to speak her mind, and her ambitious vision and generous philanthropy would transform The Methodist Hospital in the decades to come.
Ella has been referred to as the “Matriarch of Methodist” because of her many years of service and leadership. Her legacy includes a foundation and an extended family who in 2019 reached a milestone as the only family to sit on Houston Methodist’s board for 100 years continuously.
Please be sure to check out and follow our @HMethodistCares handle on Twitter. Our goal is to use this account to show how Houston Methodist is giving back to the community and celebrate Houston’s diversity. Stay tuned for some exciting news!
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