Howard R. Cavitt was born son to Major William Richard Cavitt (1849-1924) and Mary (Mitchell) Cavitt (1854-1914) in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Howard served as Captain and commanding officer of Company G, 2nd Infantry Regiment known as the Bryan Light Guard, Texas National Guard, from 1902-1904. His brother, Fred L. Cavitt, was appointed 4th sergeant in the Bryan Light Guard under him. Howard's sister Esther Cavitt (1891-1958) taught at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas.
Howard married Miss Emily Thomas on April 2, 1912, he was owner and proprietor of Bryan Motor Car Company, and his hobbies included hunting, gardening, and amateur photography.
Howard R. Cavitt died at age 31 in the Brazos River flood of 1913 during which he and three others offered aid and rescue to those in distress. Cavitt and two of the other three men (both worked for Cavitt at Bryan Motor) lost their lives from exposure to the elements and exhaustion on December 8, 1913, after their boat was disabled. Tom Evans, was the only survivor of the aid and rescue party.

William Richard Cavitt was born on July 4, 1849, in Wheelock Texas to Josephus Cavitt (1828-1883) and Cather Ann (Dunn) Cavitt (1826-1905).
William graduated from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee with distinguished honors in both Literary and Law Departments. On February 4, 1874, he moved to Bryan Texas where he opened a law practice and was the Brazos County Attorney from November 1878 to November 1880 with reelection in 1882 until 1884. In 1884, William was elected Representative for the Texas State Legislature, where he served two terms, after being nominated by a Democratic Convention of the fiftieth district for the Legislature.
In 1883, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for A&M College by Governor Lawrence S. Ross and served on the board until 1896.

Cavitt married Mary Mithcell (1854-1914), who was the niece of Colonel Harvey Mitchell (referred to as the "Father of Brazos County"), and together they had six children.