The Select Theater was the seventh in a long line of Mineola venues dating from 1886. Mrs. Martha (Mattie) Hooks named the theater for Select Pictures, a Texas motion picture franchise, in 1920. Mrs. Hooks and her husband R. T. Hooks operated the Select Theater for many years. In 1948 the Select was remodeled with such features as a gradually sloping floor and an elevated stage. The new neon tower had a two-part revolving base, stood 24 feel above the ground, and was visible for miles. The theater was managed by two longtime employees from 1961 to 1986, when a theater company assumed operation. (1998)