These proud words were written by James (Jim) Hogg upon the birth of his only daughter in Mineola, Texas, in 1882. The child's name--which may seem an unfortunate choice--was borrowed from an epic poem written by Jim Hogg's brother, Thomas. The heroine of the poem was called Ima, short for Imogene. Miss Hogg was later to recount: "My grandfather Stinson lived 15 miles from Mineola and news traveled slowly. When he learned of his granddaughter's name he came trotting to town as fast as he could to protest but it was too late. The christening had taken place, and Ima I was to remain."

Ima Hogg and her three brothers--William, Michael, and Thomas--were born into a family whose tradition of public service was an integral part of Texas history. Her grandfather, Joseph Lewis Hogg, took the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Texas in 1839, helped write the Texas Constitution, fought in the Mexican War, and served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Miss Hogg's father, Jim Hogg, was a self-educated man who became a newspaper editor and a district attorney. Elected in 1890 as the first native-born governor of Texas, he proved himself a strong champion of the people. During Jim Hogg's two terms of office the family lived in the Greek-revival Governor's Mansion in Austin--an experience that may have kindled Miss Hogg's love of historical architecture and furnishings. She never forgot the thrill of sleeping in the mahogany four-poster bed that once belonged to Sam Houston.

In 1901, while involved in the fledgling oil industry, Jim Hogg purchased the Varner Plantation near West Columbia, Texas. Confident that oil would one day be discovered there, he stipulated in his will that Varner could not be sold until 15 years after his death. In 1918--12 years after Jim Hogg died--oil was indeed found on the property. Their newfound wealth allowed Miss Hogg and her brothers to bestow enormous cultural and charitable gifts upon Houston, the city they had adopted as their hometown.