The Texas Legislative Internship Program - Senate

The Legacy of George Thomas
“Mickey” Leland
George Thomas “Mickey” Leland was born November
27, 1944, in Lubbock, Texas. At an early age, he moved
with his family to the Fifth Ward in Houston, Texas. As a
student, Mickey showed early promise. Mickey graduated
in the top 10% of his class in 1964 from Phyllis Wheatley
High School in Houston. Mickey attended Texas Southern
University in the late 60s, was a vocal leader of the local
civil rights movement, and brought national civil rights leaders to Houston. He graduated
from TSU’s School of Pharmacy in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy
and served as an Instructor of Clinical Pharmacy at his alma mater from 1970–71.
In 1972, Mickey Leland was elected to the Texas State Legislature from Houston. He
served in the Texas House of Representatives until 1978 and became famous as the
champion of health care rights for the poor. His work included membership on the
Labor, State Affairs, and Human Resources Committees, the Texas Legislative Council,
and the Subcommittee on Occupational and Industrial Safety.
In 1978, Mickey was elected to the United States Congress from the 18 th Congressional
District in Houston. Mickey’s ability to reach out to others with innovative ideas and
to gain support from unlikely sources was key to his success in effectively addressing
the problems of the poor and minorities. He met with Pope John Paul II about food
aid to Africa and with Fidel Castro about reuniting Cuban families.
In 1983 Mickey married Alison Clark Walton. Mickey fathered three children, Jarrett
David and twins Austin “Mickey” and Cameron George.
In 1988, Mickey was becoming increasingly active in international human rights
and world hunger issues. He worked endlessly to solve the problems of domestic and
international hunger and malnutrition. On August 7, 1989, Leland was leading another
humanitarian mission when a plane carrying Mickey, members of his Congressional
staff, State Department officials, and Ethiopian nationals to a United Nations refugee
camp in Ethiopia crashed in a mountainous region. There were no survivors.
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