Over many decades and until the present day, Dr. Mary E. Houck of Ohio carved out a special and unique role as an American historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the imperial, royal, and noble houses of Europe - as well as those of every other continent!
She shared a special bond with Arturo E. Beéche, the founder and publisher of the European Royal History Journal and of Kensington House Books...they were very much kindred spirits. I believe that the pair are rather a sort of adopted-by-choice mother and son team - two people bound together by an abiding common interest.
For nearly three decades, Mary and Arturo worked to guarantee that the published/written word of royal history was preserved for their contemporaries and for the generations to come.
Dr. Houck traveled widely on the European Continent in order to further her first-hand experience and knowledge. As a consequence, she greatly inspired those who shared her passion, and she compelled many of us to seek more information about the subjects that so greatly interested Mary.
Dr. Houck has undertaken countless visits to Germany, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Monaco, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, so that she might fulfill her desire to learn all that she could about the history and genealogies of dynasties around the world.
They also traveled to Costa Rica not only to visit Arturo's family several times, but also his late dear friend Prince Alfred of Prussia. Her love for learning and teaching what she had gleaned about these subjects has been shared with a wide audience, indeed. The library that she amassed at her home is amazing in both its size and the breadth of information that it contains.
Due to Dr. Houck's dedication and influence, there are many aspiring royal historians (and royal watchers) who have benefited from her wish to teach others from the wealth of knowledge she possesses. The author of this post had the pleasure of spending time with Dr. Houck on several occasions. I most memorably recall that she kindly helped me in learning the correct pronunciations of various German royal and noble families. Dr. Mary Houck is an invaluable resource due to her efforts in contributing the vast archive that she acquired so that it will become an important part of the Eurohistory Photo Collections and Archive.
Dr. Houck possessed an unrivalled ability to identify members in what may seem an obscure royal picture of postcard. We owe an unparalleled debt of gratitude to her - and, as is my humble wish, we celebrate her today!
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