Weems Collections
Maps, Ships and Architecture

Achievements of F. Carrington Weems II

F. Carrington Weems II has achieved a great pinnacle of success during his career. You can see some of the achievements of Mr. Weems in several publications:

EDUCATION

Schools:

River Oaks Elementary, Kindergarten

Kinkaid School, First through Eighth Grades

Schreiner Institute, Ninth Grade

The Taft School, Tenth through Twelfth Grades

Universities:

The Rice Institute, 1947-1948

The University of Houston, Senior Architecture Studies, 1948-1949

Rice University, 1949-1950

The University of Colorado, 1950-1952

Degree:

Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, August, 1952


POST-BACCALAUREATE PROFESSIONS

Design Engineer, 1952-1953
Lockwood Andrews & Neuman, Project Design,

Researcher, 1953-1954
Oil Center Tool Company, Oil Tool Product Design,

Sole Proprietor, 1954-1955
Inventor’s Mart, Research and Marketing of New Inventions

Real Estate Developer, 1955-1958

  • Developed a 40 lot residential area known as Baywood subdivision on Galveston Bay in Seabrook, Texas.
  • Implemented and operated water system (Weems Water Works)
  • Designed, constructed and sold the modern homes and lots.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Real Estate Developer

  • Developed and sold “Tidewood”, 1959-1960
  • Developed “Oyster Bay”, designed, constructed and sold the traditional houses in “Oyster Bay”, 1961-1963.
  • Became a Real Estate Broker in 1957, Organized and implemented Commercial Real Estate into established corporation known as “Weems & Co., Inc.”

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS (To Name a Few)

  • Sold 30,000 acres in Cameron County, Brownsville, Texas on the Gulf of Mexico and Rio Grande River, over several years to five (5) separate entities, including Brownsville Navigation District (Port of) U.S. Fish & Wildlife.
  • Sold 1,000 acres to Dow Chemical which became Plant B.
  • Bought large acreage tracts in Harris and Brazoria Counties.  As investments, for his account, he later sold all of these in a very favorable market.
  • In 1968-1972 secured permit to build TV station in Meridian, Mississippi.  As President and CEO, built and owned (40%) this station under the name “Delta Communications Corporation” which was awarded many times for excellence in broadcasting.
    • Televised live broadcasts of State High School Football Championship statewide with stations own mobile unit.
    • Brought Bob Hope to TV station to raise $100,000 to aid victims of Hurricane Camille, a six (6) hour long live broadcast (for photos click here).
    • Responded to a lawsuit from AT&T attempting to collect $24,000.  We counter-sued raising the ante to $8 million, and adding ABC, NBC and CBS and WTOK our competitor as defendants.  Five (5) years later after 10,000 pages of Discovery (Weems deposition was 1,500 pages by itself) in which we proved that these defendants had violated Anti-Trust Laws in discriminating against our UHF TV station, coming before the 5th Circuit Appeals Court in New Orleans who referred the case back to the FCC, AT&T, et al asked our legal team what it would take to get “Weems” off of their back.  Until then, AT&T had never lost a long lines tariff suit.
    • In 1972, AT&T was considerably more formidable than it is today.
    • Drilled and completed three (3) shallow oil wells in Le Vernia, Texas near Seguine.
    • In 1978-1979, was the sole Real Estate Broker in the sale of a joint venture between Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation, developer of “Houston Center” and Cadillac Fairview of Toronto.  Also, at the time it was said to be the largest commercial real estate transaction to have occurred in Texas history.  This transaction was a joint venture for continuing the development of this $2 Billion Project.
      • Sold: Condominium high-rise, 1400 Hermann Drive, Houston, Texas
      • Syndicated five (5) Limited Partnerships of several hundred acres each with Mavis Kelsey, Jr. in Galveston and Brazoria Counties, Texas.
      • Between 1997-1999:
        • Syndicated 100 acres at the northwest corner of FM 518 and State Highway 288.
        • Assembled 3,300 acres of land in 150 separate transactions.  Taking two (2) years which became “Shadow Creek Ranch,” Houston and Pearland’s fastest selling master planned community for several years.
        • Sold 127 acres at SW corner of South Beltway 8 and State Highway 288.
        • Sold 38 acres at NW corner of Shadow Creek Parkway and State Highway 288 for the development of a shopping center which was anchored by the largest Kroger Signature Store of Texas.
        • Assembled all of the land which became “The Spectrum at Clear Creek” a public/private partnership for a light-industrial technology park in Pearland still being further developed today (over 200 acres).
        • Assembled all of the land almost 2,000 acres that has become Brazoria County’s newest residential development known as “Sterling Lakes.”
        • Weems proved to be the most active broker in the Pearland/288 Corridor “Boom.”  He was a “Heavy-Hitter” in Commercial Real Estate for five (5) years in the Houston Business Journal.
        • In addition, Weems owned the Howard Johnson Motel and Restaurant on I-45, and the regional shopping center in Angleton, Texas.

ALONG THE WAY

  • Weems became a Board Member and then Chairman of The Contemporary Arts Association (Museum).
    • Became Chairman of Land Acquisition Committee.  George R. Brown provided $150,000 to buy the Bissonnet/Montrose corner.
    • Became Chairman of Capital Fund Drive.
    • Became Chairman of Building Committee.
    • Personally raised 82% of the money to build a new museum.
    • Was Chairman of Architectural Selection Committee and conducted five (5) interviews in Weems’ living room of famous national architects.
    • Weems files for all of these are on microfilm at the “Smithsonian” by their request.
    • Weems in his tenure hired three (3) directors.
    • Served on Boards of “Houston Ballet Foundation” and the “Society for the Performing Arts.”  Received a commitment to bring the Royal Ballet with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn to Houston.
      • Organized the institutions above and the Isaac Arnold Family to sponsor and subsidize the event.  Weems priced all the seats in Jones Hall, and even initiated organizations in several cities to promote ticket sales.  The five (5) performances sold out locally, making a profit with standing room only.  Therefore, the commitment subsidies aforementioned were unnecessary.
      • In the 1970’s, during the time of the TV broadcasting venture, and The Royal Ballet, Weems as impresario brought entertainment to Houston’s Jones Hall under the name: “F. Carrington Weems Presents,” including the famous guitarist “Charlie Byrd,” pianist “Don Shirley,” and the classical string ensemble “The Romeros” (see photos here).
      • Weems was Chairman of the Allegro’s General Committee.  He and Mary Ann chaired the Ball that brought Allegro back to a brand new River Oaks Country Club.  Later, they chaired an Allegro Ball at Houston Country Club which featured a short concert in the ballroom by their friend, Charlie Byrd.  (For news articles and photos on Charlie Byrd click here).
      • Weems dabbled at writing four (4) books complimenting their collections and his architecture (as seen on this website).
      • Served on Board of Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.
      • Served on Board of Saint Stephens School in Austin for 12 years.  Helped Bishop of Texas hire three (3) headmasters.  Saved old dining hall to become Student Activity Center.  Helped locate new dining hall building.  Inspired a family to endow a $10 million Art Center.
      • Co-founded “The Texas Diabetes Research Foundation.”  Became its first and only Chairman.  We wanted contributions for diabetes research to remain in Houston.  Dr. Alfred E. Leiser, his friend and doctor and he became the fundraisers and the driving force behind TDRF.  They raised the money to buy the most powerful electron microscope in the Texas Medical Center, one of four in the country.  It was for Anthony Gotto’s lab for diabetes research.   Al and Weems raised over $3 million for diabetes research in Houston.  In 2001, Dr. Leiser and he contributed the balance in the TDRF bank account to Baylor College of Medicine and they created the “Leiser-Weems Chair for Diabetes Research” at Baylor College of Medicine.
      • Became Board Member of Glenwood Cemetery, Inc. in 1973, Board Chairman and President 1977 to present.  With Dick Ambrus, Executive Director, brought about major development changes and improvements.  See the excerpts from the book “Houston’s Silent Garden.”
      • Last, but by no means least, Weems was asked to serve on the Board of The Galveston Historical Foundation in 2007.  He was elected to the Steering Committee (Executive Committee) in 2008.  His interest was broadly stretched out over all of GHF’s numerous properties and museums, but he was particularly interested in the tall ship “ELISSA” and the Texas Seaport Museum.  Thus, in 2007, he founded the exclusive “Elissa Maritime Society” which stands today to honor and support this fine ship, one of very few historic ships still sailing, which has become the official “Tall Ship of Texas.”  To view the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Video of “Spirit of Elissa Award 2011” Honoring F. Carrington Weems II (April 2, 2011).

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Previous Memberships include:

  • Member, Houston Board of Realtors, State and National Levels
  • Professional Engineer, E.I.T.
  • Member, Greater Houston Partnership (Chamber)

Current Memberships include:

CORPORATE BOARDS

  • Nassau Bay National Bank
  • Charter Member, Compass Bank Texas
  • Farmers State Bank, Schulenburg, Texas
  • Charter Member, The Ashbrook Corporation
  • Charter Member, The Metrix Instrument Company

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIPS

Previous Memberships include:

Current Memberships include:

IN SUMMARY

Carrington is survived by three wonderful children and three magnificent grandchildren.

Carrington is a loving and caring Father, and was devoted to his beautiful wife, Mary Ann for 55+ years.  God rest her soul.

Mr. and Mrs. Weems are one of the foremost collectors of antique maps of U.S., Texas, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in this country, totaling over 270.  In addition, they have 52 historic ship models, all of museum quality and also one of the finest in the country.  Combining the two complimentary collections together, it is perhaps the most impressive and unique collections in existence in private ownership.  It belongs in a museum.

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