Maverick Countian Florence Terry Griswold founded Pan American Round Table in 1916
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
The Pan American Round Table of Eagle Pass is hosting the 56th Biennial State Convention of the Pan American Round Tables of Texas during March 21-24, 2013 at the City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade with over l50 delegates attending from 18 Texas cities and four Mexican cities, announced Eagle Pass Pan American Round Table Director Lucy Mancha.
There is not a more appropriate city to host the Pan American Round Tables of Texas state convention than Eagle Pass because the founder of the international benevolent non-profit organization known as The Alliance of the Pan American Round Tables is former native Maverick Countian Florence Terry Griswold who was born at the Pendencia Ranch near Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas on May 29, 1875 to Theodore Terry and Louisa Jane Lampkin Terry. Raised in Eagle Pass and Maverick County, Texas during her early years, Florence Terry Griswold became totally fluent and bi-lingual in English and Spanish and developed a strong affection and understanding of the rich Mexican culture on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Florence’s father, Theodore Terry, was a lawyer originally from Palmyra, New York and her mother, Louisa Jane Lampkin Terry, was from Edwardsville, Illinois. Her parents relocated to Maverick County, Texas to join their father and father-in-law, Constant Terry, who earlier had relocated himself to Texas to raise cattle in the semi-arid desert in southwest Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border at the Pendencia Ranch between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, Texas.
Theodore Terry initially practiced law in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas traveling daily between his ranch on Pendencia Creek and Eagle Pass on his horse-driven buggy. He went on to become one of the first federal judges in southwest Texas. In 1880, he moved his family, including Florence Terry Griswold, to Carrizo Springs, Texas where he was appointed District Judge and later elected County Judge of Dimmit County, Texas where he served until his death in 1895. Prior to his death, in 1886 Judge Theodore Terry together with other individuals founded the Carrizo Springs Javelin newspaper and became its editor. The Carrizo Springs Javelin is still operating and is the oldest newspaper in Texas today.
In 1894, a young 19 year-old Florence Terry married rancher and cattleman Felix Shaw and had four children from her marriage to Felix Shaw. In 1908, Felix Shaw passed away from a heart attack while working in a traditional Texas cattle roundup, leaving Florence Terry a widow with four children and three cattle ranches to manage and operate. Florence Terry relocated her children and herself to San Antonio, Texas. In 1914, Florence Terry married insurance agent John Case Griswold in San Antonio, Texas.
During 1910 through 1916, Mexico was going through a revolutionary war with Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata leading the peoples’ revolutionary forces against the tyranny of Mexican President Porfirio Diaz displacing thousands of Mexican refugees who fled into Texas seeking protection and relief from the devastation of the Mexican Revolution.
Born and raised in a bi-lingual and bi-cultural world near the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, Texas, Florence Terry Griswold developed a rich and sensitive love and appreciation of the Mexican people and culture. This unique experience taught her important values and morals and made her a compassionate and caring person for the hard-working, skilled, and loyal Mexican people.
As many Mexican refugees arrived in San Antonio, Texas fleeing from the Mexican Revolution, Florence Terry Griswold personally helped, sheltered, fed, and assisted women and children and persuaded other San Antonio women to do the same.
On October 16, 1916, at a luncheon meeting held at the historic Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio, Texas, Florence Terry Griswold and 21 prominent San Antonio women founded the Pan American Round Table for the purpose “to provide mutual knowledge, understanding, and friendship among the peoples of the Western Hemisphere, and to foster all movements affecting the women and children of the Americas.” Today, this organization is known as The Alliance of the Pan American Round Tables with over 26 countries from the Western Hemisphere participating.
On Saturday, March 23, 2013, participants at the 56th Biennial State Convention of the Pan American Round Tables of Texas personally toured the birthplace and boarding house of their organization’s distinguished founder, Florence Terry Griswold, in Eagle Pass, Texas as part of their state convention activities.
