Frances Rosenthal Kallison

Frances Elaine Rosenthal Kallison (November 29, 1908 - December 30, 2004) was a pioneering American rancher, historian, and philanthropist.[1] In 2016, she became the first Jewish woman inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in recognition of her courage, resilience and independence.[2][3]

Frances Kallison mounted on her horse Bill practicing trick riding, circa 1943

Biography

Kallison was born November 29, 1908 in Fort Worth, Texas, a second-generation Texan and the only child of Mose A. Rosenthal and Mary Neumegen. Kallison briefly attended Vassar College before transferring to the University of Chicago, where she received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1929, shortly before the stock market crash in October that year. Kallison returned to Texas, where she met Perry Kallison (b. 1903, d. 1999); they married on March 8, 1931 and settled in San Antonio. The couple had three children. Frances Kallison died in San Antonio, Texas on December 30, 2004.[4][5]

Work

For much of her life, Kallison worked alongside her husband and his family managing the family enterprises, including the largest farm and ranch supply store in the Southwest, and a ranch that bred prize-winning Hereford cattle, Angora goats, and sheep.[6] Most of the ranch became part of Government Canyon State Natural Area in 2002.[7][8]

During the Depression, Kallison led the National Council of Jewish Women to lobby the city of San Antonio to open a maternity ward at the public hospital, as well as a well-baby clinic and prenatal clinic. She also worked for the repeal of Texas's poll tax.[5]

After World War II, Kallison was among the founders of the Ladies' Auxiliary to the Bexar County Sheriff's Mounted Posse, a precision riding team that regularly performed at parades and expositions and at hospitals and orphanages. In 1948 she served as captain of the posse.[9] The Mounted Posse appeared on-screen in Two Guys from Texas (1948), Rio Grande (1950), and in an episode of The Cisco Kid. Funds raised went to the public hospital and other charities.[5]

Kallison was a long-time supporter of the arts, from small artists' projects to serving as a trustee of the San Antonio Museum Association and the Witte Museum.[4][10]

In her late 60s, Kallison's long-time interest in Jewish history motivated her to return to school. She received a master's degree from Trinity University in San Antonio.[9] In 1979, she helped establish the Texas Jewish Historical Society. She has been called "the acknowledged authority on the history of the Jews of San Antonio."[4]

References
  1. "Ranchwoman Kallison to get national honor". ExpressNews.com. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  2. "Frances Rosenthal Kallison". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  3. "Not Your Average Cowgirl - Frances Rosenthal Kallison '29". Vassar College. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  4. Frye, Cathy (January 1, 2005). "Tireless volunteer Kallison dies at 96 - Wife of longtime radio personality also chronicled Texas Jewish history". San Antonio Express-News (Texas).
  5. Hollace Ava Weiner (24 January 2019). "Frances Rosenthal Kallison". In Deborah M. Liles; Cecilia Gutierrez Venable (eds.). Texas Women and Ranching: On the Range, at the Rodeo, and in Their Communities. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 141–. ISBN 978-1-62349-739-2.
  6. See, among many others: "Hereford Tops at Tyler won by Kallison" (September 14, 1949). Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Reeves, Frank (February 20, 1952). "Coleman Polled Hereford Wins at San Antonio Show". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  7. "Legend, Lore & Legacy: Pioneer Ranches Became Government Canyon". TPW magazine. August–September 2014.
  8. Kotz, Nick (2013). The harness maker's dream : Nathan Kallison and the rise of South Texas. Texas Christian University Press. ISBN 978-0875655673.
  9. "Frances Elaine Rosenthal Kallison: Jewish Community Leader & Rancher of San Antonio, Texas – JMAW – Jewish Museum of the American West". Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  10. Robinson, Gaile (March 30, 2006). "Heaven on Hampton Street - Two brothers with a dream converted an old downtown warehouse into studios and a gallery. Now, 25 years later, Artspace 111 is a beloved haven for artists". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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