From the Archives

The Marriage of James Bowie

The Shield, Spring 2016

In 1931, the city of San Antonio celebrated its 200th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a week-long celebration was held which included a pageant in the City Auditorium. The pageant was comprised of different San Antonio groups, each presenting an important phase of San Antonio’s history.

According to the 1931 SMH yearbook, La Reata, Saint Mary’s Hall was invited to participate and, “The school reenacted the marriage of [Alamo hero] James Bowie.” At the time, SMH was an all-girls boarding school, and it was typical for the ladies to play men’s roles.

Elizabeth Lupe Callaway (Class of 1931) played the bride, and Frances Barrett Hein (Class of 1931) assumed the role of the groom. The bride’s parents were played by Alice Mary Adams Watts (Class of 1931) and Gisela Von Knoop Bennett (Class of 1933).