And so they did. Today, at William P. Hobby Airport, in the terminal area, quite a crowd showed up to celebrate the 80th anniversary of this Houston landmark.

The band was in full swing, refreshments were served and the official logo for the Hobby 80th anniversary year-long celebration was unfurled for the facility which was opened in 1927, when the W.T. Carter Lumber Company brought the beginnings of commercial aviation to Houston.

“We want this to be a celebration of what Hobby has meant to the City of Houston and we want people young and old to know that the Houston Airport System is preserving this slice of history for the future,” said Richard Vacar, director of the Houston Airport System.

Neighbors, airport tenants, travelers and guests all crowded around to hear stories shared by some who saw Hobby get its start. Among them, Capt. A.J. High a pilot who reminisced about flying out of Hobby in 1947 and witnessing the famed explosion at Texas City.

Celeste Graves added to the oratory, with her memories about serving as a dispatcher for the secret World War II era Woman Air Force Service Pilots (WASP), the first female military pilot program in the nation.

Beneath the huge neon sign that proclaims the William P. Hobby Airport name, the party featured remarks by Vacar and District I City Council Member Carol Alvarado. A mini-museum display and vintage photographs were brought over from the 1940’s Terminal Museum, which was the original terminal at Hobby from 1940 to 1954.

The art deco design which garnered international acclaim was leased by the Houston Airport System to the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society for preservation and is one of the few remaining terminals, from this golden age, that did not fall victim to the bull-dozer.

William P. Hobby Airport was purchased by the City of Houston in 1937. Years later it began offering international service when Pan American Airways scheduled a flight between Houston and Mexico.

That was only the beginning.