Ebby Halliday

Ebby Halliday
Born
Vera Lucille Koch

(1911-03-09)March 9, 1911
Leslie, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 8, 2015(2015-09-08) (aged 104)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
OccupationReal Estate Entrepreneur

Ebby Halliday (born Vera Lucille Koch;[1] March 9, 1911 – September 8, 2015) was an American realtor and businesswoman who founded Ebby Halliday Realtors.

She was one of the first successful female entrepreneurs in Dallas and is recognized as the "First Lady of Real Estate". John S. Baen, a professor of real estate at the University of North Texas in Denton comments, ''she was the first woman to enter what was a chauvinistic profession in a macho state'' and that ''she beat those ol' boys at their own game.''[2]

Halliday was born in Leslie, Arkansas,[3] and graduated from high school in Abilene, Kansas, in 1929. She got a $10-a-week job selling women's hats at The Jones Store in Kansas City. In less than a year, she was the top salesperson. In 1938, she was asked to take over the millinery department at Dallas' W.A. Green Store. Soon she had her own Dallas boutique, Ebby's Hats.[4] She founded her real estate company in 1945.[5]

Halliday married former FBI agent Maurice Acers in 1965.[6][7] Maurice Acers died in 1993.[8] She celebrated her 100th birthday on March 9, 2011.[9] She died at the age of 104 on September 8, 2015, in her sleep, with her friends and family by her side.[10]

Awards

Halliday was awarded the H. Neil Mallon Award by the World Affairs Council in 1989. The H. Neil Mallon Award, hosted by the World Affair Council of Dallas/ Fort Worth, is presented annually to individuals who have excelled at promoting the international focus of North Texas. The prestigious Mallon Award is named after the Council’s founder and is presented annually to individuals who have excelled in promoting our region’s international profile. Funds raised from this event support the World Affair Council’s public and education programming, international exchanges, and diplomatic services.

Halliday received the Horatio Alger Award in 2005.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ebby Halliday, Dallas Real Estate's Most Beloved Icon, Has Died at 104", nbcdfw.com, September 9, 2015.
  2. ^ Murphy, Kate (2004-07-25). "NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES; In Texas, No One Is Bigger Than Ebby". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  3. ^ "With grace and grit, real estate titan Ebby Halliday Acers paved the way for women" by Cheryl Hall and Joe Simnacher. The Dallas Morning News, September 9, 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
  4. ^ Nixon, Caroline. You Never Know Until You Ask, p. 6.
  5. ^ Ebby Halliday, Dallas Real Estate's Most Beloved Icon, Has Died at 104. NBCDFW.com, September 9, 2015.
  6. ^ Ebby Halliday: The Woman Who (Still) Sells Dallas. D Magazine, July 2007. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  7. ^ "Realty Briefs: National Home Week Points Up Strength Via Ownership" by Jim Stephenson. The Dallas Morning News, September 12, 1965; retrieved 2014-02-03.
  8. ^ Cheryl Hall. Approaching 100, Ebby Halliday says go easy on the candles, The Dallas Morning News, January 15, 2011; retrieved 2014-02-03.
  9. ^ Ebby Turns 104 Today, Encourages Donations by Sarah Bennett. Park Cities People, March 9, 2015; retrieved September 9, 2015.
  10. ^ Ebby Halliday, Dallas Real Estate's Most Beloved Icon, Has Died at 104, nbcdfw.com; accessed September 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "Member Profile". Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. Retrieved 2020-02-27.