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Lynn Wyatt Scrapbooks and Memorabilia

 Collection
Identifier: MS 550
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

These scrapbooks contain photographs, correspondence, invitations, event programs, news clippings, and memorabilia collected by Lynn Wyatt, documenting her work with charitable and fine arts organizations, leadership as a Houston socialite and best-dressed icon, and international travels. There is some material concerning her husband, Oscar Wyatt, and his role in the oil and natural gas industry, and one scrapbook devoted to Princess Caroline, daughter of Lynn Wyatt’s close friends the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Princess Grace.

Dates

  • 1931-2012

Creator

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research. Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Lynn Wyatt (Mrs. Oscar) Scrapbooks and Memorabilia must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Biographical Sketch

Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt, born July 16, 1935, is a prominent Houston-based international socialite, arts patron, and philanthropist. Lynn Wyatt is a third-generation Texan, daughter of the late Bernard Sakowitz and Ann Baum, and sister of Texas high fashion retailer Robert Sakowitz. She married oil and gas executive Oscar Wyatt in 1963 and moved into Allington, a Houston mansion in the River Oaks neighborhood that became known as the “Wyatt Hyatt” for the frequency of visits by royal notables and entertainment icons, such as long-time friend Princess Grace of Monaco, Joan Collins, Elton John and Mick Jagger. In addition to foreign nobility and celebrities, she had also cultivated friendships with several couturiers and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1977. Her classic style and Southern flair has led to her appearance on magazines covers and amongst the pages of American and Paris Vogue, Town & Country, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar. In 2000, she was recognized as “Socialite of the Century” by Texas Monthly magazine. She has made great contributions to France, was admitted to the Order of Arts and Letters for significant cultural enrichment, and opened the summer season for over three decades with a lavish birthday party in Monte Carlo on the Cote d’Azur.

She has an extensive record of awards and honors for her lifelong commitment to philanthropy and leadership in the upper echelons of Houston society and was commissioned as an Ambassador of Goodwill for the state of Texas in 1980. Many of her efforts in fundraising and chairing events have concentrated on local fine arts, including the Houston Grand Opera, MFA, Houston Ballet, and Alley Theatre. She recently accepted the first-ever Performing Arts Advocate Award for her contributions to the performing arts in Houston. She was invited by Prince Rainier of Monaco to be a Founding Trustee of the Princess Grace Foundation U.S.A., on which Board she continues to serve, raising and distributing funds to assist emerging talent in theater, dance, and film. Internationally, she has chaired festivities benefitting the Red Cross and the American Hospital of Paris. Her interest in disease prevention and health has led to her charitable participation on the inaugural board of the Medical Prevention and Research Institute in Houston. She has also been recognized for her contributions to women’s achievements, including her appointment to the Board of the U.S. Naval Academy by President Reagan as one of the first woman advisors where she served for eight years.

Extent

26 Linear Feet ( (26 boxes))

5.24 Gigabytes (MS0550aip_001)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

These scrapbooks contain photographs, correspondence, invitations, event programs, news clippings, and memorabilia collected by Lynn Wyatt, documenting her work with charitable and fine arts organizations, leadership as a Houston socialite and best-dressed icon, and international travels.

Repository:

Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated by Lynn Wyatt on March 16, 2010.

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Lynn Wyatt scrapbooks and memorabilia, 1931-2012
Status
Completed
Author
Lee Pecht
Date
2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892