Southgate–Lewis House (and continued to live in the neighborhood throughout her life). She was a staunch and powerful advocate for the historic preservation of the Southgate–Lewis House. Ada Simond knew the Charles M. Lewis family quite well; she was a friend of Mae Dee Lewis and she frequented the Southgate–Lewis House often. Charles M. Lewis was also a close friend and mentor and he allowed Ada Simond to audit classes at Samuel Huston College (where he was a professor). Later she would go on to acquire a master's degree at Iowa State University. Six-book series Ada Simond used the Lewis family and the Southgate–Lewis House as inspiration for a series of children's books relating to Black history in East Austin. She published a series of six children's books entitled Let's Pretend: Mae Dee and Her Family (beginning with Let's Pretend: Mae Dee and Her Family Go to Town in 1977), in which she told historically accurate stories of Black families living in Austin in the early 1900s. These books are "narrated by Mae Dee Lewis, whom Simond identified as a childhood friend." The six-book series was named "Outstanding Publication on a History Subject" by the Texas Historical Commission in 1979. Ada Simond also wrote a weekly column for The Austin American Statesman for several years entitled "Looking Back," which highlighted the historical roots of Austin's African-American community. Academic background Ada Simond holds a master's degree in home economics from Iowa State University and she taught at Tillotson College between 1936 and 1942. In 1982 Huston-Tillotson College conferred upon her a Doctor of Humane Letters. She was a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Council of Negro Women. She has received numerous awards: e.g., The Black Heritage Award from the Austin Independent School District, and The Human Relations Award from the Texas State Teachers Association. George Washington Carver Museum Ada Simond cofounded the George Washington Carver Museum, which opened in a historic building that was once the site of Austin's first Black library. The Carver Museum is located only two blocks away from the Southgate–Lewis House. In addition to the awards mentioned above Ada Simond also received the Arthur B. DeWitty Award for "outstanding effort and achievement in human rights". She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1986. The City of Austin, Texas has named a street in