On October 16, 1939, work began on one of the city's newest skyscrapers — the Robert Driscoll Hotel.
Financing for the hotel would come from one of the city's most illustrious citizens....Miss Clara Driscoll (1881-1945). Clara's grandfather, Daniel O'Driscoll, was born in Cork, Ireland, and immigrated to the U.S. He was a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and was rewarded with a grant of 1,200 acres of land in Refugio County for his service. Clara's father, Robert Driscoll, Sr. (the "O" had been dropped), and his brother, Jeremiah, would develop the land into a very successful ranch. Later, they would expand their operations into banking and commercial development in Nueces County, creating a multi-million-dollar empire.
Into this family, Robert, Jr. was born on October 31, 1871, and his sister, Clara, on April 2, 1881. Her brother graduated from Princeton in 1893 and went on to become a lawyer. When their father died in 1914, Robert and Clara assumed control of his vast business empire, which included 125,000 acres of land in Jim Wells, Duval, and Nueces counties. The estate was valued at $2 million ($61.5 million today).
Robert was instrumental in attracting farmers to this South Texas land and in establishing the towns to support them. These included the town of Driscoll (named after the family) and Robstown (named after Robert…..Rob’s-town). Robert Driscoll, Jr. was President of Corpus Christi National Bank, Corpus Christi Trust Co., and International Refining. He was also Director of Frost Bank of San Antonio and Guaranty Title Co. of Corpus Christi.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to the City of Corpus Christi was his role in securing a deep-water port for the city. He was named the first Chairman of the Nueces County Navigation District, serving from 1926 until his untimely death in 1929. On the first anniversary of his death, the city dedicated a monument to Driscoll on July 7, 1930.
The monument remains at the entrance to the port to this day. And, while that monument is nice, Robert’s sister wanted something much more grand to honor her brother’s memory. Her monument took the form of a monumental building… the Robert Driscoll Hotel.
The construction permit for the hotel was issued on October 30, 1939, with an estimated cost of $1,106,000. It was the largest permit ever issued by the City of Corpus Christi. The Driscoll was also the first building in Corpus Christi to include air conditioning throughout in the original plans. The building was to be 180 feet long by 99 feet wide, rising 18 stories to a height of 233.5 feet… the tallest in the city. (Like most tall buildings in the South, the Driscoll would not have a 13th floor). The architects were Hedricks and Fox of Fort Worth, and the contractor was McKenzie Construction of San Antonio. Construction was expected to take 480 days. Clara Driscoll selected a site right next door to the White-Plaza Hotel, a hotel built in 1929 with money supplied by Clara and her brother, Robert.
Groundbreaking had already taken place on October 17, and the steel framework began to go up by the end of the year. The hotel would feature a massive ballroom with a 900-person capacity on the 4th floor. To support the weight of the floors above the ballroom, the largest steel girders ever used in Corpus Christi construction were brought in from Bethlehem Steel in Chicago. Each girder was 51 feet long by 6 feet tall by 3 feet wide, weighing 40 tons.
Like most large construction projects, the projected completion date of April 1, 1941, was pushed back numerous times because of strikes, failure of materials to arrive on time, worker injuries, and weather. In August 1941, the first five floors were completed and opened, primarily as office space for businesses.
In late November, the hotel became the new home of KRIS-Radio 1360.
Meanwhile, a new completion date for the hotel was set for December 1. But Pearl Harbor and our entry into World War II were rapidly approaching. Labor and material shortages were increasing, and it soon became apparent that the December completion date would not happen. The project moved into 1942 with April 1 set as a completion date (exactly one year behind the original completion date). But, April 1st came and went, and the hotel remained unfinished! Clara Driscoll spared no expense on the interior of her building. By early 1942, it was estimated that she had spent close to $3,000,000 on the hotel — three times its original estimate. Hotel people from around the country who toured the new building declared it to be as lavish as any hotel in the nation!
One unforeseen result of the Driscoll’s construction was the drastic effect the building had on weather readings. The National Weather Service was located in the Federal Building (the old Federal Courthouse) in front of the Driscoll, just below the Bluff. The Driscoll Hotel, along with the Plaza Hotel next door and the nearby Nixon Building, had so altered accurate temperature, wind speed, and wind direction readings that the Weather Service had to relocate to Cliff Maus Airport.
The hotel finally (officially) opened on May 25, 1942, after 2 1/2 years of construction. The first guests to book a room at the new Robert Driscoll were Mr. and Mrs. Guy C. Kiddoo of Chicago. But they would soon be followed by a host of notable politicians, sports stars, movie stars, famous singers and musicians, etc. who would make the Robert Driscoll the #1 choice for their stay in the Sparkling City. Notable guests included President Lyndon Johnson, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, Speaker Sam Rayburn, Mary Pickford, Tyrone Power, Hedy Lamarr, John Wayne, Joan Crawford, Cantilflas, Chill Wills, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, William Bendix, Pearl S. Buck, Tom Dooley, Rocky Marciano, Scott Carpenter, and every Texas Governor during that time period. It is amazing that the Driscoll existed as a hotel for a relatively brief 28 years.
Clara Driscoll only got three years to enjoy her magnificent hotel. She would pass away suddenly on July 17, 1945, in her penthouse suite at the Driscoll. She was only 64 at the time of her death. The hotel would be closed and sold in 1970. Its renovation and transformation into a bank and office building in the early 70’s would dramatically alter the look of the building.
The public has largely forgotten its construction as a memorial to Clara’s beloved brother over the last 50 years. Now known as the “Broadway Tower”, there is no mention of Robert Driscoll. But to those of us who remember the historic hotel, it will always be the “Robert Driscoll”.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
