Mary's Story
Mary Elizabeth Gilbert Bivins was born in 1861 and married Lee Bivins, a pioneer cattleman and civic leader who played a significant role in the development of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. Following his death in 1929, Mary Bivins continued a life of generous service to her community.
In 1949, she established the Mary E. Bivins Foundation, determined to leave the world better than she found it. One year after her death, the Elizabeth Jane Bivins Home for the Aged welcomed its first residents, an early product of the Foundation's work. The home, named after her mother-in-law was a clear expression of her desire to ensure older adults were cared for with dignity and compassion.
A Lasting Legacy
Below is an excerpt from the 2009 book, Touching Lives: The Lasting Legacy of the Bivins Foundation, by Jeanne S. Archer:
"On December 24, 1935, six years after her husband's death and 16 years before her own, Granny Bivins sat down to write a letter:
To my dear grandchildren, Betty, Lee, Oliver, William, and Mary Miles, I am giving to your fathers certain mineral rights and royalties in trust for you ... I hope you will use this for the betterment of humanity and honor to yourselves.
The wish of Mary Elizabeth Bivins to leave this earth better than when she found it continues to be realized with each successive generation of the Bivins family, through their individual efforts and by carrying on granny Bivin's own legacy through the Foundation she created."
Over 75 Years of Giving
Celebrating 75 years of service, the Mary E. Bivins Foundation reflects on the life and legacy of Mary Elizabeth Bivins and how the Foundation continues to work to support communities and older adults across the Texas Panhandle.
Our Office
While Mary and her family primarily resided in the house they built in 1905 on South Polk (pictured above). There would be three generations of Bivins who would live not far from there in the home that would eventually become the office for Mary's Foundation.
One of Mary and Lee's sons, Miles, built a large Tudor Revival home south of the site where Lee donated land for the area's first airport, Bivins Flying Field. The original runaway of which is now Julian Boulevard, named after Lee and Mary's other son, Julian.
Miles, his wife Myda, 17-year-old daughter Betty, and 14-year-old son Lee, moved into the Tudor Revival home in 1930. It was designed by renowned Dallas architect, Henry Bowers Thompson and constructed in 1929.
Gallery of photos of Miles and Myda's home at 2311 SW 16th Avenue in Amarillo, Texas.
Following Miles's death in 1949, Myda asked her son Lee and his wife Betty Teel Bivins to move into the house with their three-year-old son, Levi and two-year-old son, Teel. Lee and Betty would later have two more sons, Tom and Mark, in the early 1950's and all four boys would grow up in the home.
Betty Teel Bivins hosted numerous gatherings at the residence as part of her philanthropic efforts, continuing the Bivins legacy of generous giving, faith, and service. Betty was deeply dedicated to supporting initiatives which improved the quality of life in Amarillo. She resided in the home until her passing in January 2008.
It was after that time, the Foundation made the over 80-year-old historic home their office, coinciding with more than 60 years of service to the community in Mary's name.
For the preservation of the home and respect for the office space, the house is not open to the public for tours.