Gladney Blog

Read the latest information about Gladney's China and Taiwan's adoption program in December's Gladney Newsletter.

Happy Birthday, December Babies!

The Gladney Center for Adoption is 130 years old in 2017! We celebrated all year long by sharing fun and interesting adoption facts about our history and culture. Because November is National Adoption Month, we're bringing you the top 3.

Read the latest information about Gladney's China and Taiwan's adoption program in November's Gladney Newsletter.

1. Construction of Gladney's current campus officially commenced with a groundbreaking ceremony on this day 17 years ago. The new campus complex includes offices, a visitors center, community center, a building for counseling services and a residence hall for expectant mothers. Gladney welcomes guests to walk through the visitors center and absorb the 130 years of adoption history. 
2. Much of the movie based on Edna Gladney’s life, Blossoms in the Dust, is fictitious. There may have been a Tony; Mrs. Gladney had no adopted sister who committed suicide; and she had no child herself who died at a young age. If you’d like to know more about Edna Gladney and her life, we recommend reading “Texas Adoption Activist Edna Gladney: A Life and Legacy of Love” by Sherrie McLeRoy. 
3. Mrs. Gladney was succeeded by Walter Delamarter as the Executive Director of Gladney, because in the words of Mrs. Ruby Lee Piester, "no woman could have followed her." Delamarter had a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois and was on the boards of several welfare groups. 
4. By the early 1920s, the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society (nka the Gladney Center for Adoption) was the leading child placing organization in the state of Texas.
5. Mrs. Ruby Lee Piester began group-counseling sessions for young residents to get to know and better understand each other.  
6. Buildings were constructed on the 2300 Hemphill Street campus one at a time, as funds were raised for a particular building. Construction highlights included:

• Marks Hall, now The Graham Building, home to The Gladney Fund, 1954.
• Dining Room, 1964.
• Johnny Mitchell Maintenance Building, 1976.
• Horlock Auditorium, 1977.
• Fair Dormitory, 1977.
• Nina Reese Counseling Center, 1977.
• Blakemore Education Building, 1977.
• Ruby Lee Piester Dormitory, 1980.
• Sproesser Wynn Dormitory, 1984

• I.Z.T. Morris, 1887-1914;
• Belle Morris, 1914-1920;
• Roy Stockwell, 1920-1927;
• Edna Gladney 1927-1960;
• Walter Delamarter, 1960-1963;
• Ruby Lee Piester, 1963-1984;
• Eleanor Tuck, 1984-1988;
• Michael J. McMahon, 1988-2007; and
• Frank Garrott, 2007-2017.

8. The movie about Edna Gladney’s life, Blossoms In The Dust, generated so much publicity and attracted so many birth mothers that some babies slept in dresser drawers for lack of crib space. 
9. The Texas Children’s Home and Aid Society (nka the Gladney Center for Adoption) never intended to be an orphanage. Instead, it was a "handling home," where children were accepted for adoption placement and cared for until the right homes could be provided for them. If you’re interested in starting your adoption journey, please request Gladney’s free Adoption Information Packet. 
10. Mrs. Ruby Lee Piester joined the staff as director of social services in 1960. In 1963, she was named executive director, a position she would hold for more than 20 years. 

Read the latest information about Gladney's China and Taiwan's adoption program in October's Gladney Newsletter.

Superkids is shining a light on two adoptive parents who have recently adopted children with Down syndrome.  These moms are tireless advocates, and as a bonus, they are both Superkids volunteers!  Lora and Michelle have graciously agreed to answer our questions about adopting a child with Down syndrome.  

Adopting from the state foster care system comes with a lot of unknowns, but because of people like Dan & Karen, kids like Michael and James have a family who loves them and a bright future ahead. Watch Michael share the evolution of his adoption story from being known as “street baby” to “just Michael”. 

Read the latest information about Gladney's China and Taiwan's adoption program in September's Gladney Newsletter.

1. MGM paid Edna Gladney $5,000 for rights to her story which they then turned into the movie “Blossoms in the Dust”. She donated the money to the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society to help reduce the agency's debt.  Each year generous supporters like you join us for the exciting annual North Texas Giving Day—this year it will be September 14, 2017 from 6 a.m. to midnight.   Your generous support makes a meaningful difference.
2. Because of her tenacity, Mrs. Gladney was known as "that Gladney woman" to members of the Texas Legislature. Being an #AdoptionAdvocate is still an integral part of Gladney.
3. The Houston Auxiliary was the first support group of Gladney volunteers to formally organize. Today, Gladney has an entire development department and Gladney Family Associations that organize fundraising events for Gladney year-round. Check out some of their latest events. 
4. Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, granted Mrs. Gladney an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1957.   
5. In 2016, Gladney Adoptee, Alicia Taylor, rolled out Gladney Teen Outreach (GTO).  GTO provides a community for teens & tweens, adopted or not, to connect and inspire one another while having fun, fostering lifelong friendships and furthering Gladney’s Mission of Creating Bright Futures through Adoption. 
6. Ralph Wheelwright, an MGM publicist, and his wife, adopted a baby girl from Mrs. Gladney in 1940. Inspired by Mrs. Gladney's devotion to the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society, he sketched out her life story and presented it to Louis Mayer, head of Hollywood's Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio. Wheelwright was paid $10,000 for the project idea. 
7. Former First Lady Barbara Bush, a Gladney grandparent, attended the agency's Centennial celebration in 1987 as a special guest. 
8. Cookies4Kids was created in 2010 by Chef Eric Justice, former Director of Culinary Operations for Pei Wei Asian Diner, after he attended the Gladney Cup golf tournament. All proceeds from the decadent double chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies benefit the Gladney Center for Adoption's humanitarian aid efforts. 
9. The first annual Gladney Cup golf tournament was held at the Colonial in Fort Worth in 1999. In 2017, The Cup will experience The Country Club in Brookline, MA. We are thankful for all of the players and sponsors at the 2017 Gladney Cup. 
10. Gladney began operating with an assumed name certificate as The Edna Gladney Center in 1987.

And those are your Gladney adoption facts for September. Stay tuned for more!