Celebrating His Remarkable Grandparents

In 1937, Garfield McConico married Petrenella Johnson and the couple settled in Round Rock, Texas, which then had a population of just 1,200. Both college-educated, Garfield and Petrenella were eager to change the world as Petrenella began a teaching career while raising five children, and Garfield became a businessman, a real estate investor and a politician who had big dreams about what Round Rock could become.

In 1969, Garfield became Round Rock's first Black city council member (1969-77) and went on to serve as the city's first Black mayor pro tem (1971-77). During his time in office, he was instrumental in hiring Round Rock's first city manager, connecting the city to a 911 emergency services and waste management system, and recruiting Westinghouse to establish its headquarters in Round Rock. He also helped create jobs for Black veterans returning from service abroad through his contract painting business. Recognized as a local legend in Round Rock, Garfield made a lasting impact on the city's development and bridged the gap between all cultures.

Petrenella, a lifelong resident of Round Rock, graduated from Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson University) in 1934. She was a devoted educator who touched the lives of countless students during her more than 35-year teaching career in the Round Rock Independent School District, which included a lengthy tenure at Hopewell School, the district's segregated school for African American students. She and Garfield lived the basic principles of family, education and service to the community and passed them down to the next generations of their family. In 2003, the city honored the couple by naming Round Rock's municipal building, which sits on the site of the family's former homestead, the McConico Building.