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ERNEST H. CARSWELL PLAQUE PLACED IN SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK

03.26.2004 -- A plaque dedicated to the memory of longtime City employee Ernest Carswell has been placed beneath a young crepe myrtle tree planted in Sesquicentennial Park along the banks of Buffalo Bayou.

Carswell, the first African-American to serve on former Houston mayor Louie Welch’s staff, died last April at the age of 61. Mr. Carswell joined Mr. Welch’s staff in 1966 and initiated a series of social programs in the Fifth Ward. In 1974, he was named director of playground athletics for the Parks and Recreation Department. After stints with the Houston Astros and Pace Management, he rejoined the Parks Department in 1977 and later worked for the Library Department.

Mr. Carswell returned to the City ranks in 1991 when he joined the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department. At the time of his death, he was responsible for maintaining Jones Plaza, Sesquicentennial Park and Ray C. Fish Plaza, among other outdoor venues. Mr. Carswell also worked at Wortham Theater Center and the defunct Music Hall and Sam Houston Coliseum.

The plaque was made possible from donations made by employees of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department.