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Huntsville’s Mac Woodward, left, and Congressman Kevin Brady were thrilled to unveil the bust of Sam Houston that will reside temporarily in the historic Ways and Means Committee Room in the U.S. Capitol. The director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Woodward loaned the bust, created by sculptor Elisabet Ney, to Brady, who represents the 8th District of Texas, which includes Walker, Madison, Montgomery and Trinity counties. Photo: Allyson Manley

Congressman Kevin Brady recruited some help from Huntsville this week. That’s right, Brady welcomed a Texas hero back to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in hopes that he can help the House Ways and Means Committee push a tax-reform bill through Congress. 

A bust of Gen. Sam Houston was brought from the Sam Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville to its new temporary home in Washington D.C. 

Students from Sam Houston State University and their political science professor were on hand this week when Congressman Kevin Brady unveiled a bust of Sam Houston at the United States Capitol. From left are SHSU political science professor Mike Yawn, Brian Aldaco, Sam Houston Memorial Museum director Mac Woodward, Christina Perez, Karla Rosales, Congressman Kevin Brady, Beatriz Maerinez and Kaitlin Tyra. Photo: Allyson Manley

“We have hundreds of meetings a day here. Having this role model of servant leadership here as we tackle tax reform, it’s just, it’s inspiring,” Brady told KBTX-TV in College Station.

Brady is the third Texan to chair the Ways and Means Committee. No stranger to Congress, Houston spent 13 years in Washington as a Texas senator.  

The bust, created by sculptor Elisabet Ney in 1892, will be on display in the historic Ways and Means Committee Room. Brady, the chairman of the important House committee, said he hopes the bust brings his colleagues luck as they work to pass tax reform.

Mac Woodward, the museum’s director and Huntsville’s former mayor, helped Sam Houston get to the nation’s Capitol Building. 

“It’s here. It’s back!” Woodward said. “To be back in Washington where he was such an important figure during his time in the United States Senate is just a thrill for me.” 

The bust is on loan from the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, but the hard part was getting it to Washington.

“They had to create a custom crate for it. It’s really heavy and, of course, none of us wanted it impacted at all, so we were praying for it to arrive in Washington, but it did safe and sound,” Brady said.

Students from Sam Houston State University were excited to be at the bust’s unveiling Tuesday night.

“It has been a great experience to know that our most celebrated state hero will now be honored by hundreds of Americans,” said SHSU senior Brian Aldaco.

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