EVENING OF HERITAGE
Join The Heritage Society for our annual Evening of Heritage—a vibrant fundraiser that brings together history lovers, preservation advocates, and community leaders for an unforgettable night of culture, connection, and impact.
Join us Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Forest Club for Evening of Heritage 2025: Moving Forward by Looking Back. This year’s signature presentation, More Than a Store – Three Decades of Tumultuous Changes 1960–1990: A Series of Vignettes, invites you to step into pivotal moments of Houston’s retail history. Renowned author Robert T. Sakowitz will guide guests through Ultimate Gifts in the Golden Age of Catalogues, weaving together personal anecdotes and cultural milestones that defined an era of innovation and community spirit.
Sakowitz’s two new volumes promise to turn retail history into pure storytelling gold. More Than a Store – Three Decades of Tumultuous Changes 1960–1990 stitches together pocket-sized vignettes—think backstage tales of holiday window reveals, inside jokes between sales clerks, and firsthand accounts of how the oil bust sent seismic ripples through Houston’s shopping scene. Ultimate Gifts in the Golden Age of Catalogues meanwhile resurrects those glossy, mail-order tomes of the ’60s and ’70s, complete with jaw-dropping product photography, cheeky copy that captures the era’s optimism, and surprising backstories on everyday items that became status symbols. Between Sakowitz’s warm humor, archival treasures, and unexpected cultural deep dives, the Evening of Heritage isn’t just a lecture—it’s a front-row seat to the quirks, drama, and sheer delight of Houston’s retail heyday.
About the Speaker
Robert T. Sakowitz is a third-generation retail visionary whose career spans more than six decades of innovation, resilience, and cultural storytelling. He joined his family’s namesake store in 1962 and steered Sakowitz, Inc. through both meteoric growth and the challenges of Houston’s oil-driven economy. After the historic flagship stores closed in 1990, he founded Hazak Corporate Consulting, advising global brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue and IKEA on everything from merchandise mix to customer experience. In his two new books—More Than a Store: Three Decades of Tumultuous Changes, 1960–1990 and Ultimate Gifts in the Golden Age of Catalogues—Sakowitz weaves archival discoveries, personal anecdotes, and cultural deep dives into a narrative that celebrates the joy, drama, and community spirit of retail. His engaging presentations bring to life the pivotal moments and unsung heroes of Houston’s shopping scene, inviting audiences to understand how commerce has shaped our city’s identity.
Evening of Heritage: A Celebration of Houston’s Past and Future
Proceeds from Evening of Heritage directly support our museum’s mission to preserve and celebrate the city’s architectural and cultural legacy. Your generosity helps us maintain and restore our historic structures, develop inclusive educational programming, and create dynamic exhibits that bring untold stories to life. Every ticket, donation, and auction bid fuels our efforts to keep Houston’s history accessible, engaging, and relevant for generations to come.
Together, we’re not just remembering the past—we’re building a future rooted in heritage.
