We were not orphans

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Boys at WSH during Great Depression

Boys at WSH during Great Depression

We were not orphans Stories from the Waco State Home

A new book by Sherry Matthews Foreword by Robert Draper

The Waco State Home was the de facto safety net for children who had committed no crime other than the offense of being born poor.

–Robert Draper, from the Foreword

“We were not orphans. Our parents were living; they just couldn’t take care of us.” This poignant remark captures the heartbreaking reality faced by thousands of “dependent and neglected” children from the 1920s through the 1970s who grew up at The Waco State Home.

About the Book

By Sherry Matthews
Foreword by Robert Draper
Oral histories edited by Jesse Sublett
Published by University of Texas Press

We Were Not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home Buy the Book
  • Hardcover
  • $29.95
  • Pages: 234
  • Date: February 2011

Praise

“A first-rate investigative report that has it all: unforgettable characters, terrible secrets, legal wrangling, and the ultimate triumph of justice…”

—Dan Rather

“… a harrowing, haunting, and, in its own way, uplifting human saga…Highly recommended!”

—Douglas Brinkley, author and history commentator, CBS News

“Most amazing of all is the triumphant, heroic spirit that reverberates throughout the stories.”

—Richard Linklater, Director and Screenwriter

“Matthews’ book serves as a wake-up call for those who advocate for children and their families.”

—Janice L. Cooper, Interim Director, National Center for Children in Poverty
Sherry Matthews

About the Author

Sherry Matthews, Author

Sherry was born in Los Angeles during World War II and grew up on her great-uncle and aunt’s farm in East Texas. She first became aware of the Waco State Home at age three, when, after a series of family tragedies, her three older brothers were taken there to live.

New Stories

Ted Ehrhardt La Valle, WI

My brother and I were taken from Bay City, Texas to live in the Waco State Home in 1949, during a time that our so-called father, Walter, was very sick. He couldn’t pay the lady who was taking care of us. We were 9 and 6. I stayed in the Home 8 years and my brother stayed 10 years, until I got him out.

New Stories Share Your Stories

Media

Entrance to WSH, 1924
Friends at WSH
Boys with shovels on farm
Children enjoy watermelon

Events

  1. 2012Trinity Star Arts Council Event Untold Stories From the Waco State Home
  2. 2011Texas Book Festival The State of Our Children: Texas as a Parent
  3. 2011OHA Annual Meeting
  4. 2011Baylor University

In the News

  1. August 10, 2012Oxford University Press The Oral History Review
  2. July, 2011Texas Co-op Power Book provides a stark look inside the now-defunct Waco State Home
  3. June 26, 2011Waco Tribune Herald Former residents drawn to Waco
  4. March 20, 2011The New York Times The Opinion Pages

Alumni on Camera

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