Meet the Moodys: An Introduction to the Moody Family Papers and Business Records
The Moody Family Papers and Business Records is a large archival collection that illustrates the Moody family’s personal, social, business, political, legal, and financial activities over nearly 200 years. The collection includes significant amounts of personal and business correspondence, as well as financial documents, legal documents, photographs, and ephemeral materials created, received, or collected by four generations of Moody family members.
The collection was donated to the Galveston and Texas History Center by the Mary Moody Northen Endowment in 2022. As of 2025, the collection is open for research.
This exhibition highlights a few members of the Moody family whose materials have been preserved and digitized.
Colonel William Lewis Moody Sr.
Colonel William Lewis Moody Sr. (1828-1920) was born in Essex County, Virginia as the seventh child to Jameson and Mary Susan Lankford Moody. He attended law school at the University of Virginia and graduated in 1851. The following year, he moved to Fairfield, Texas to practice law. Over the next decade, William brought his siblings to Fairfield and established W.L. Moody & Bros., a cotton and mercantile firm, with his brothers James Henry, Leroy Francis, and David Jameson. On December 1, 1860, he married Pherabe Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bradley, with whom he had six children: William Lewis Moody Jr., Frank Bradley Moody, Mary Emily Moody Hutchings, one stillborn child, and two children who died in infancy.
At the start of the Civil War, Moody organized Company G of the Seventh Texas Infantry of the Confederate Army and served as its captain. After being captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee in February 1862 and then seriously wounded in Jackson, Mississippi in July 1863, he was promoted to colonel and spent the rest of the war in Austin.
In 1866, he moved his family to Galveston and opened a cotton and banking firm under the name W.L. & L.F. Moody. The firm was later renamed to Moody, Bradley & Company in 1867, Moody & Jemison in 1871, and finally, W. L. Moody & Company in 1881. Among many business and municipal involvements, Col. Moody was a founder and president of the Galveston Cotton Exchange and chairman of the Galveston Deep-Water Committee, which persuaded Congress to fund Galveston’s development as a deep-water harbor. He was also active in Democratic politics as a friend and major supporter of William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic candidate for president.
His sons, William Lewis Moody Jr. and Frank Bradley Moody, later joined him as business partners. Together, they established and led several companies including W. L. Moody Bank, City National Bank (later Moody National Bank), and American National Insurance Company. Col. Moody remained active in business affairs until his death on July 17, 1920. He is buried in the Moody family graveyard in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Pherabe Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bradley Moody
Pherabe Elizabeth Bradley Moody (1839-1933), also known as “Lizzie,” was born in Dallas County, Alabama to Francis Meriwether and Zillah Pherabe Goldsby Bradley. A wealthy plantation owner originally from Oglethorpe County, GA, Francis Bradley moved his family from Alabama to Freestone County, TX in the late 1850s. On December 1, 1860, Lizzie married Col. William Lewis Moody, Sr., with whom she had six children: William Lewis Moody Jr., Frank Bradley Moody, Mary Emily Moody Hutchings, one stillborn child, and two children who died in infancy. After the Civil War, she and her family moved to Galveston, where she remained until her death. She is buried in the Moody family graveyard in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Continued on next slideLeroy Francis Moody
Leroy Francis Moody (1826-1899) was born in Essex County, Virginia as the fourth child to Jameson and Mary Susan Lankford Moody. He moved to Fairfield, TX in the 1850s with his younger brother Col. William Lewis Moody (Sr.). There, the brothers went into business together by establishing W.L. Moody & Bros. along with their brother David James. During the Civil War, Leroy served in the Confederate Army; he was incarcerated at Johnson’s Island in Sandusky Ohio as a prisoner of war in 1862 and later achieved the rank of captain. Leroy never married and died in Galveston, TX in 1899. He is buried in the Moody family graveyard in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
The Moody Family Papers contain Leroy's correspondence with his siblings, friends, and others leading up to and during the Civil War, which describe Leroy’s support for the Confederacy and service in the Confederate Army, and official military orders issued by the Confederacy. The series also includes a small amount of correspondence from Leroy’s later years.
One item from this series is this letter, which Leroy F. Moody wrote to Col. William L. Moody on March 14, 1863 while stationed with his Confederate regiment at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Leroy describes the arrival of Union soldiers near their encampment.
William Lewis Moody Jr.
William Lewis Moody, Jr. (1865-1954) was born in Fairfield, Texas to Col. William Lewis Moody Sr. and Pherabe Bradley Moody. He was educated in Virginia at Hollins College and Virginia Military Institute; he also studied abroad in Germany and enrolled in the University of Texas but did not graduate. In 1886, he joined his father, William Lewis Moody, Sr., in the family’s Galveston cotton and banking firm, W. L. Moody & Company, at the age of 21. He married Libbie Rice Shearn, daughter of a Houston family, in August 1890. Together, the couple had four children: Mary Elizabeth Moody Northen, William Lewis Moody III, Shearn Moody Sr., and Libbie Moody Thompson. The family lived at 2201 Avenue M before moving into a mansion at 2618 Broadway in 1900, now known as the Moody Mansion.
The Moodys’ business activities focused on cotton brokerage and banking. Under W. L. Moody Jr., banking was strengthened, and in 1916 the company was divided into W.L. Moody and Company Bankers, Unincorporated, and W.L. Moody Cotton Company. In 1905, Moody Jr. entered the insurance field with the establishment of the American National Insurance Company. In 1920 he established the American Printing Company, and in 1923 and 1925 he bought the Galveston News and the Galveston Tribune, respectively. In 1927, he formed the National Hotel Corporation. Moody Jr. also owned several ranches and farms in Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Mexico. He is also remembered for establishing the Moody Foundation, which has been a major force in health, education, and historic preservation in Texas. After an active life in which he relished business dealings as well as his favorite pastimes of fishing and duck hunting, W.L. Moody Jr. died in 1954 at the age of 89. He is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, TX.
Libbie Shearn Moody
Libbie Rice Shearn Moody (1869-1943) was born in 1869 to John Shearn and Judith Catherine “Kate” McAshan Shearn, a prominent Houston family. She met William Lewis Moody, Jr. in April 1890, and after a brief courtship, they were married in August 1890. Libbie pursued her interests in the Wednesday Club and the YWCA as well as several hereditary organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Upon her death in 1943, she left one quarter of her estate to the First Methodist Church of Galveston (now known as Moody Methodist Church). She left the remaining three-quarters of her estate in the Libbie Shearn Moody Trust, which would benefit her immediate family members as well as the Moody Foundation and First Methodist Church. She is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, TX.
Continued on next slideMary Moody Northen
Mary Elizabeth Moody Northen (1892-1986) was born in Houston to William Lewis Moody Jr. and Libbie Rice Shearn Moody. She was privately educated and attended Mrs. Olive Branch Brigg’s private school for a time. In 1911, at age nineteen, she debuted in Galveston high society – this event announced her eligibility for marriage and entrance into adult social circles. In 1915, Mary married local insurance man Edwin Clyde (“Mike”) Northen and settled two blocks from her parents in a modest cottage gifted to them by her parents. While she and her husband never had children, they led a vibrant social life that revolved around family, friends, employees, and colleagues. When Mike died in May 1954, Mary moved back into her old home with her father; however, he died just seven weeks later in July of the same year. He named Mary as the executor of his will and head of the Moody business enterprise, which included the family-owned banks, newspapers, hotels, ranches, cotton firm, and the American National Insurance Company. She was also appointed chair of the Moody Foundation; in this role, Mrs. Northen actively supported a significant number of institutions of higher education, historic preservation, and the arts. For her philanthropy, she was nicknamed “The Grand Dame of Galveston” and was frequently honored with honorary degrees and awards. She was also a leading player in several local and state public agencies, including the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Commission on the Arts. She served as the matriarch of the Moody family and leader of the family’s business interests until her death at age 94 on August 26, 1986. She is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, Texas.
Continued on next slideWilliam Lewis Moody III
William Lewis Moody III (1894-1992) was born in Galveston to William Lewis Moody Jr. and Libbie Rice Shearn Moody. He received his primary education at the Hill School in Pottstown, PA, and then attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, IN. In 1913, at the age of 19, he was named president of the American Bank and Trust Company. In 1923, he and Odie Richard Seagraves established the Moody-Seagraves Company, a natural gas conglomerate.
In 1916, he married Edna Willie Haden (1897-1932). Together, they had three children: Edna Haden Moody Summers (1917-1963), Virginia Shearn Moody Dietzmann (1920-1981), and William Lewis Moody IV (1924-2014). Following his first wife’s death, he married Mary Margaret Guinard Allen (1900-1982) in 1934; they did not have children together. Following his divorce from Mary Margaret, he was remarried to Shirley Katherine Wilcox (1915-2001) with whom he did not have any children.
He filed for bankruptcy in 1933 and reentered the Moody family enterprise as Vice President of the American National Insurance Company. His business philosophies and spending habits differed dramatically from those of his father. Upon his father’s death in 1954, W. L. Moody III was cut out of his father’s will; W. L. Moody Jr. had bequeathed his son just $1 from his $55 million estate. Following his father’s death, W. L. Moody III moved to San Antonio, where he remained until his death in 1992 at age 98. He is buried in Mission Burial Park North in San Antonio.
Shearn Moody Sr.
Shearn Moody, Sr. (1895-1936) was born in Galveston to William Lewis Moody Jr. and Libbie Rice Shearn. After receiving his early education in Galveston, he attended several preparatory schools including the Evans School (Mesa, AZ), the Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, NJ), Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, NH), and Culver Military Academy (Culver, IN). He then served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. Following the war, Shearn entered the family’s business interests as a partner in W.L. Moody Bankers, Unincorporated. He also helped manage the National Hotel Company and was a vice president of the American National Insurance Company. In 1925 he established his own firm, Security National Fire Insurance. His interest in athletics led him to purchase a baseball franchise in the Texas League in 1931, the same year in which he married Frances Russell in San Diego, California. Shearn died suddenly after a brief illness on February 28, 1936, at the age of 40. He was survived by his wife Frances, who later remarried, and their two young sons, Shearn Moody Jr. and Robert “Bobby” Lee Moody. He is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, TX.
Continued on next slideLibbie Moody Thompson
Libbie Moody Thompson (1897-1990) was born in Galveston as the fourth and final child of William Lewis Moody Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody. She graduated from Ball High School in Galveston before attending Holton-Arms School in Washington, DC. In 1918, Libbie married Clark W. Thompson Jr., a U.S. Marine and future U.S. Representative, with whom she had one daughter, Libbie Moody Thompson Stansell. Clark’s military and political career caused the family to move to Washington DC in 1933. Libbie became well known as a popular hostess due to the lavish social gatherings she and her husband hosted at their mansion home, which became nicknamed “the Texas Embassy.” Libbie died on January 8, 1990 at the age of 92. She is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, TX.
Continued on Next SlideShearn Moody Jr.
Shearn Moody Jr. (1933-1996) was born in Galveston to Shearn Moody Sr. and Frances Russell Moody (later Newman). He was educated at numerous preparatory and military schools including the Fessenden School (Newton, MA), Staunton Military Academy (Staunton, VA) and Valley Forge Military Academy (Wayne, PA). He also briefly attended the University of Houston before joining the family business enterprise. From the 1950s through the 1970s, he served as a director of the American National Insurance Company, a trustee of the Moody Foundation, a director of The News publishing Company, and a director of the Seahorse Hotel, an affiliate of National Hotel Company. In 1963, he established Empire Life Insurance Company of America. In 1968, he purchased W. L. Moody & Company, Bankers Unincorporated, a bank first established by his grandfather Col. William Lewis Moody Sr.
Continued on Next SlideRobert Lee Moody
Robert Lee Moody (1935-2023), also known as Bobby, was born in Galveston to Shearn Moody Sr. and Frances Russell Moody (later Newman). Along with his older brother, Shearn Moody Jr., Robert was educated at the Fessenden School (Newton, MA), Staunton Military Academy (Staunton, VA) and Valley Forge Military Academy (Wayne, PA). He married Ann Milroy McLeod in 1968; together, they shared a blended family of eight children: Robert Lee Moody Jr., Russell S. Moody, Ross Rankin Moody, Frances Anne Moody-Dahlberg, Edwin Vince Matthews, Lea McLeod Matthews, Allan Watkins Matthews, and Dorothea Matthews Balentine.
In 1956, he established the National Western Life Insurance Company. He also took active roles in the Moody family enterprises, holding executive positions at the American National Insurance Company, Gal-Tex Hotel Corporation, Moody Foundation, Moody National Bank, Moody Endowment, Moody Gardens, Moody Neurorehabilitation, and Mary Moody Northen, Inc.
Robert Lee Moody died on November 7, 2023 at the age of 88. He is buried in Galveston Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Galveston County, Texas.
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Colonel William Lewis Moody Sr. (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contains Col. Moody's personal and business correspondence; legal documents such as deeds, wills, lawsuits, and case notes; financial documents such as bills, receipts, and insurance policies; and ephemera such as pamphlets, programs, receipts, and news clippings.
One example of Col. Moody's personal correspondence is shown here. On February 3, 1875, he wrote to his eldest brother James about moving the remains of their deceased brother David and Aunt Nancy to a private family cemetery in Virginia. It is written on letterhead from Moody & Jemison, one of Col. Moody's early cotton firms.
Pherabe Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bradley Moody (continued)
Pherabe's materials include personal correspondence with family members and a small amount of legal and financial documents from Pherabe’s later years such as her will, estate ledger, and pension documentation.
Pictured here is a letter written by Pherabe to her son William Lewis Moody Jr. on August 29, 1919. Pherabe wrote from Saratoga Springs, New York -- perhaps escaping the summer heat in Galveston -- and described the weather, her husband's fishing, and some political news.
William Lewis Moody Jr. (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain a significant amount of W. L. Moody Jr.'s personal and business correspondence, as well as a number of financial and legal documents, personal writings, and ephemera that he collected throughout his life. These materials illustrate an expansive network of friends, acquaintances, employees, colleagues, business partners, politicians, civic groups, and social organizations that W. L. Moody Jr. cultivated.
Pictured here is a letter written by W. L. Moody Jr. to his father Col. W. L. Moody on October 8, 1889. At this time, W. L. Moody Jr. worked from the Moodys' office on Wall Street in New York City. In the letter, he described a number of ongoing business transactions and negotiations.
Libbie Shearn Moody (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain Libbie Shearn Moody's personal correspondence, financial documents related to personal expenses and household management, personal notebooks, documents related to her interests in her family heritage and genealogy, and ephemera that she collected from participating in religious, entertainment, leisure, and other personal activities.
Pictured here is a letter written by Libbie Shearn on July 9, 1890 to her fiancé William Lewis Moody Jr. Libbie wrote from her sister Mary's summer home in Hull, Massachusetts. The couple would be wed there a month later on August 26, 1890.
Mary Moody Northen (continued)
Mary Moody Northen's papers comprise the largest group within the Moody Family Papers and Business Records collection. Her materials include extensive correspondence with family, friends, Moody business executives and employees, historical and heritage organizations, politicians, and institutions which benefited from her philanthropy. Her materials also include documents and ephemera related to her travels, political and civic activities, participation in social organizations and events, and personal hobbies and interests such as genealogical research and collecting stamps and postcards.
Pictured here is a letter written by Mary on August 24, 1952 to her father William Lewis Moody Jr. She wrote from Mountain Lake Hotel, one of the Moodys' favorite leisure destinations, and described a number of social visits with friends including parties and dinners, as well as the weather and horseback riding at Mountain Lake.
William Lewis Moody III (continued)
William Lewis Moody III's papers include letters, telegrams, greeting cards, and postcards from family and friends; business, legal, and financial documents; handwritten notes and printed materials from his education at the Hill School and Culver Military Academy; and news clippings related to his business affairs and personal life.
Pictured here is a blank invitation to W. L. Moody III and Edna Willie Haden's wedding on April 26, 1916.
Shearn Moody Sr. (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain Shearn Moody Sr.'s personal correspondence with friends and family, business correspondence related to banking and his service in the U.S. Navy, financial documents, diaries, and ephemera from the schools he attended. His papers also contain scrapbooks and other ephemera that were created for his funeral.
Pictured here is a yearbook from the Evans School in Mesa, Arizona for the 1914-1915 school year. Shearn Moody Sr. is pictured on page four and he is mentioned throughout the book. For instance, in the baseball section, Shearn is described as "Very hard worker. Fast in the field and on bases. Good batter but erratic fielder."
Libbie Moody Thompson (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain Libbie Moody Thompson's correspondence with friends and family, her debut invitation, a trust fund agreement, notebooks, news clippings, and other ephemera primarily related to her education and social activities from 1905 to the 1930s.
Pictured here is a photograph of Libbie as Galveston's Mardi Gras Queen in 1939.
Shearn Moody Jr. (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain Shearn Moody Jr.'s correspondence with family, friends, business partners, law firms, and acquaintances; assignments and documents from the schools he attended; legal documents related to a number of lawsuits he was involved in; and ephemera related to Shearn’s social, educational, and business activities.
Pictured here is a letter written by Shearn Jr. to his mother Frances on January 8, 1942. He wrote from the Fessenden School, a boys' boarding school in Newton, Massachusetts. Due to the cold winter weather, Shearn asked his mother to send soup, tissues, nose drops, and snow goggles.
Robert Lee Moody (continued)
The Moody Family Papers contain Robert Lee Moody's correspondence with his family, friends, and business associates from 1938 to 1984, as well as a small number of documents and news clippings related to his early education, business affairs, social activities, and political interests.
Pictured here is a letter written by Robert to his aunt Mary Moody Northen on November 26, 1954. He wrote from El Paso while serving in the U.S. Army, perhaps stationed at Fort Bliss. He described a football game he attended on Thanksgiving Day, a small dust storm in El Paso, and his hopes to visit home for Christmas.