Biography

Mary Martha Lappe was serving as chairwoman of the University of Houston dance studio when she was asked to help launch the High School for The Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in 1971. The original plan for the Meyerland resident was to take a one-year leave of absence from the UH. Instead, her association with HSPVA extended to more than 40 years. Lappe was chairwoman of the HSPVA Dance Department for 25 years. In 1997, she became executive director of HSPVA FRIENDS, a nonprofit organization that raised $8 million in private support for the school and its students, including $1.6 million in scholarships. She retired in May 2012 and has worked 52 years in public education. Excerpted from a Houston Chronicle article “Retired educator: Arts, Academics Mix” by Paul M. Kopenkoskey (http://ahs1956.com/Photos2012-3.htm)

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