Ann Richards
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Ann Richards | |
---|---|
45th Governor of Texas | |
In office January 15, 1991 – January 17, 1995 | |
Lieutenant | Bob Bullock |
Preceded by | Bill Clements |
Succeeded by | George W. Bush |
Treasurer of Texas | |
In office January 18, 1983 – January 15, 1991 | |
Governor | Mark White Bill Clements |
Preceded by | Warren Harding |
Succeeded by | Kay Bailey Hutchison |
Personal details | |
Born | Dorothy Ann Willis September 1, 1933 Lakeview, Texas (now Lacy Lakeview), U.S. |
Died | September 13, 2006 (aged 73) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Dave Richards
(m. 1953; div. 1984) |
Children | 4, including Cecile |
Relatives | Gary Tinterow (first cousin once removed) |
Education | Baylor University (BA) University of Texas, Austin |
Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th
Born in McLennan County, Texas, Richards became a schoolteacher after graduating from Baylor University. She won election to the Travis County Commissioners' Court in 1976, and took office as Texas State Treasurer in 1983. She delivered a nominating speech for Walter Mondale at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.
Richards won the
Early life
Richards was born in Lakeview (now part of
Richards taught
Political career
Early political career
In 1990, Texas'
Throughout her time in politics, especially during her early political years, she broke many gender roles. It is interesting to note that her chief of staff was also a woman, Mary Beth Rodgers. She believed that it was important to bring women and minorities into the political field. She found this to be important because she felt that politics did not reflect who the state of Texas was made up of.
State Treasurer
After incumbent Texas State Treasurer Warren G. Harding (no relation to the U.S. president) became mired in legal troubles in 1982, Richards won the Democratic nomination for that post. Winning election against a Republican opponent in November that year, Richards became the first woman elected to statewide office in more than fifty years. In 1986, she was re-elected treasurer without opposition. Richards was a popular and proactive treasurer who worked to maximize the return of Texas state investments. Richards said that when she took office, the Treasury Department was run something like a 1930s country bank, with deposits that didn't earn interest.[citation needed] At the 1984 Democratic National Convention, Richards delivered one of the nominating speeches for nominee Walter Mondale, and she campaigned actively for the Mondale/Ferraro ticket in Texas, even though President Ronald Reagan enjoyed great popularity in her state.
1988 Democratic National Convention
Richards' keynote address to the 1988 Democratic National Convention put her in the national spotlight. The speech was highly critical of the Reagan Administration and then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. Her address was notable for including several humorous remarks displaying her down-home Texas charm such as: "I'm delighted to be here with you this evening, because after listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texas accent sounds like", "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth",[2] "Two women in 160 years is about par for the course. But if you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels",[3] and "When we pay billions for planes that won't fly, billions for tanks that won't fire, and billions for systems that won't work, that old dog won't hunt. And you don't have to be from Waco to know that when the Pentagon makes crooks rich and doesn't make America strong, that it's a bum deal". Richards' convention address has been cited by rhetorical experts as a historically significant speech.[4] In the presidential debate that year between Republican George Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis, Bush referenced Richard's uncivil comments about him during her speech on his way to winning the White House.[5] The speech set the tone for Richards' political future. In 1989, with co-author Peter Knobler, she wrote her autobiography, Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places.
Governor (1991–1995)
External videos | |
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Richards's inauguration from January 15, 1991 | |
Inaugural Parade Part I | |
Inaugural Parade Part II |
In 1990, Texas'
Richards became the second woman to hold Texas's top office, since Miriam "Ma" Ferguson.
In 1994, Richards ran for re-election against Republican George W. Bush. Despite outspending his campaign by 23%, she was defeated, with 45.88% of the vote to Bush's 53.48% while Libertarian Keary Ehlers received 0.64%.[10] The Richards campaign had hoped for a misstep from the relatively inexperienced Republican candidate, but none appeared, while Richards created many of her own, including calling Bush "some jerk", "shrub" and "that young Bush boy".[11]
Tenure as Governor
As governor, Richards reformed the Texas prison system, establishing a substance abuse program for inmates, reducing the number of violent offenders released, and increasing prison space to deal with a growing prison population (from less than 60,000 in 1992 to more than 80,000 in 1994). She backed proposals to reduce the sale of semi-automatic firearms and "cop-killer" bullets in the state.[12]
The Texas Lottery was also instituted during her governorship—advocated as a means of supplementing school finances; Richards purchased the first lottery ticket on May 29, 1992, in Oak Hill, near Austin.[13]
School finance remained one of the key issues of Richards' governorship and of those succeeding hers; the famous Robin Hood plan was launched in the 1992–1993 biennium and attempted to make school funding more equitable across school districts. Richards also sought to decentralize control over education policy to districts and individual campuses; she instituted "site-based management" to this end.
One of her first goals was to focus on education. To do so, she held a "school assembly" on January 19th, 1991, where she met with students as well as teachers from all over Texas to hear directly from the source what needed to change in the school systems. She found this to be important because these are the people who were directly effected by the education system at the time. She found education to be extremely important and this was clear during her time in office.
In 1993, Richards signed into law the re-codified Texas Penal Code which included anti-homosexual Section 21.06, the state's "Homosexual Conduct" law which states: "(a) A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.".[14] In 1990, Richards had campaigned in Houston to repeal the law. But, as governor, her signature criminalized same-sex sexual relations in Texas.[citation needed]
Post-governorship
Richards was defeated in the
shortly afterward, in which they discussed the "sweeping changes" occurring. The changes they are discussing turn out to be the new Doritos packaging.Beginning in 2001, Richards was a senior advisor to the communications firm Public Strategies, Inc.[16] in Austin and New York. From 1995 to 2001, Richards was also a senior advisor with Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, a Washington, D.C.-based international law firm.[citation needed] Richards sat on the boards of the Aspen Institute, JCPenney, and T.I.G. Holdings.
One of her daughters, Cecile Richards, became president of Planned Parenthood in 2006.[17] Ann Richards demonstrated interest in social causes such as equality, abortion, and women's rights.
She was a tireless campaigner for Democratic candidates throughout the United States. In the 2004 presidential election, Richards endorsed Howard Dean[18] for the Democratic nomination, and campaigned on his behalf. Richards later stumped for Democratic nominee John Kerry,[19] highlighting the issues of health care and women's rights. Some political pundits mentioned her as a potential running mate to Kerry; however, she did not make his list of top finalists, and he selected North Carolina Senator John Edwards. Richards said that she was "not interested" in a political comeback.
Teaching
Richards taught social studies and history at Fulmore Junior High School (now Lively Middle School) in Austin (1954–1957). She continued teaching in later years.
Education was of extreme importance to Richards, especially when it came to solving crime and economic problems in Texas. In November, 1989, she held a campaign speech in Bryan, Texas where she spoke about Texas' criminal justice and economic system and the work that needed to be done to educate the people in order to create a sustainable environment. Richards put great emphasis on an investment in education to promote jobs in Texas' high technology fields and break its crime cycles, or else Texas would be in trouble.[20]
She served at Brandeis University as the Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Visiting Professor of Politics from 1997 to 1998. In 1998 she was elected as a trustee of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, she was reelected in 2004, and continued to hold the position until her death.
Richards was diagnosed with
In Steve Labinski's review,[21] he described the book as inspiring women to fight the disease with various tactics, such as:
- identifying factors that might increase vulnerability to osteoporosis including lack of estrogen, menopause, and usage of drugs related to caffeine, tobacco and alcohol;[21]
- emphasizing the impact of bone-density tests and explaining the process using Ann Richard's own bone test as an example;
- supplying an extensive list of calcium-enriched foods which are beneficial, plus noting some foods to avoid;
- listing everyday tips to improve muscle condition and prevent bone injuries.[21]
In the fall of 2005, Richards taught a class called "Women and Leadership" at the
Before Richards had passed, she created a school for women called "the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders". The school opened on August 27, 2007, with a goal to educate and empower young women, grades 6-12, while creating opportunities for them that may not have otherwise presented themselves. Serving for the Austin Independent School District, the public school began by welcoming 6th and 7th grade classes, adding an additional grade every year from 2007 to 2012. In January of 2021, the school moved into a new state-of-the-art [22] facility. With Richards' vision, so many young women who came from disadvantaged backgrounds now had an opportunity and the confidence to pursue their college education and careers. Today, more than 900 students come together to create a community of women who share a desire to become someone great with thanks to the Austin Independent School District, the Dallas-based Young Women’s Preparatory Network (YWPN), and the Ann Richards School Foundation.[23]
Arts and film
One of her first legislative requests was to move the Texas Music Office (created in 1990 during the administration of Governor Bill Clements) and the Texas Film Commission (created in 1971 during Governor Preston Smith's term) from the Texas Department of Commerce to the Office of the Governor.
Her longtime personal interest in Texas film and music greatly raised the public profile of both industries and brought the two programs into the Governor's Office. As a result, these industries were institutionalized as key high-profile parts of Texas' future economic growth plans. Other of her music milestones include publishing the first "Texas Music Industry Directory" (1991) and her "Welcome to Texas" speech to the opening day registrants of the 1993 South By Southwest Music and Media Conference.
Richards said, "I've been a friend to Texas film since the number of people who cared about Texas film could have fit in a phone booth." She was an advocate for the Texas film industry and traveled to
She was also a mentor to other women. She advised Rebecca Campbell, executive director of the Austin Film Society, "Whenever you speak in public you've got to tell them what you need from them." She put the spotlight on film as a genuine industry, brought more focus to Texas, and had a tremendous network of people in the entertainment industry. She gave more focus to film as a business than had been done before.
She was interviewed in the 1996
It is believed that her last appearance in film was in a short public announcement used at the
Richards was active in the
Awards and recognition
During her career, Ann Richards received many awards and honors. One of them being the Baylor Distinguished Alumni which is given to the "alumni who makes an outstanding contribution to biomedical and/or medical science through clinical service, research, education and/or administrative leadership." Another one is the Texas NAACP Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Rights. The winners get selected by the NAACP president for acknowledge a special achievement and distinguished public service. She was also awarded the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award. Ann was also given the Orden del Aguila Azteca (Order of the Aztec Eagle) presented by the government of Mexico. Another being the Maurice N. Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and finally the Texas Women's Hall of Fame honoree for Public Service. Ann Richards was also fortunate to have a public all girls preparatory school in Austin, Texas named in honor of her in 2007.
Final years and death
In March 2006, Richards disclosed that she had been diagnosed with
Richards died of cancer at her home in Austin on September 13, 2006, at the age of 73.[31] Three memorial services were held.[32] Her remains are interred at Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
Legacy
The City of Austin changed the official name of Congress Avenue Bridge (which opened in 1910) to Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge on November 16, 2006.
Her 1988 DNC keynote address was listed as #38 in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century (listed by rank).[33]
A tribute to Richards was featured during the "HerStory" video tribute to notable women on U2's tour in 2017 for the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree during a performance of "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"[34] from the band's 1991 album Achtung Baby.
Richard's legacy has proven controversial among LGBT groups due to her involvement in the ratification of Section 21.06 of the Texas Penal Code, a measure that Richards had campaigned against in the 1990 Texas gubernatorial election. This law prohibits "deviate sexual intercourse [between] individual[s] of the same sex".[35] This led LGBT commentator Dale Carpenter to describe Richards' legacy as "darkly anti-gay" and raise examples of men having been prosecuted for violating the law that Richards had signed.[36] However, Bryan H. Wildenthal, associate professor and director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, argued that this legislation was passed despite objections by Richards. Wildenthal added that vetoing the legislation would have resulted in the existing sodomy law remaining in force while sacrificing many other unrelated progressive improvements in the code.
In popular culture
In 2001, Richards guest starred as herself in a fifth-season episode of the Texas-based animated TV series
Richards made a voice cameo in Disney's 2004 animated film Home on the Range, where she voiced a saloon owner named Annie.
Richards was a topic in the film
In the 2008 Oliver Stone film W., Richards is mentioned during George Bush's campaign as "Ms. Big Mouth, Big Hair".[37]
Richards was one of the characters portrayed by
In 2010, actress
In 2012 a documentary about her political life, Ann Richards' Texas, was released.[41] On April 28, 2014, HBO released a documentary, All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State.
In 2019, "Call Me Ann: A Rock Opera" debuted in Houston, Texas, at the Houston Fringe Festival.
Videos
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ann Richards | 1,925,670 | 49.47 | ||
Republican | Clayton Williams | 1,826,431 | 46.92 | ||
Libertarian | Jeff Daiell | 129,128 | 3.32 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George W. Bush | 2,350,994 | 53.48 | ||
Democratic | Ann Richards (incumbent) | 2,016,928 | 45.88 |
Notes
- ^ Holley, Joe (September 14, 2006). "Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Dies". The Washington Post.
- ^ The comment was a combination of two American idioms: a man born into wealth is described as "born with a silver spoon in his mouth", and a man who embarrasses himself while speaking is described as "putting his foot in his mouth". A similar line had been used by Mary Wickes, Richard Dawson, and Betty White on an episode of Match Game '76, in which they were asked to fill in a phrase stating that President Ford was "born with a silver _______ in his mouth", and all three suggested "foot". The line was also used in M*A*S*H episode 180, "Nurse Doctor", originally aired on October 29, 1979.
- ISBN 0-312-34004-4.attributes the line to Thaves.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)). The official Ginger Rogers website Archived August 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine - ^ Michael E. Eidenmuller (July 19, 1988). "Ann Richards – Democratic National Convention Keynote Address". American Rhetoric. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ^ "The Commission on Presidential Debates - October 13, 1988 Debate Transcript". Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Texas Candidate's Comment About Rape Causes a Furor". The New York Times. March 26, 1990.
- ^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Texas". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Elections. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Estrada, John-Carlos (January 14, 2021). "#TBT: 30 years ago Ann Richards' inauguration peacefully took back the Capitol". CBS Austin. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "The Paintings of James E. Tennison" (portrait artist), 2007, webpage: JTenn-bio Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine: states James E. Tennison painted portrait of Ann Richards, for the State Capitol in Austin (as governor).
- ^ [1] Archived March 4, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Baseball Owner to Governor". pbs.org. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ^ "Modern Texas – Texas State Library and Archives Commission". Tsl.state.tx.us. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- Lotto Texas' computer-picked random number tickets began six months later.
- ^ "PENAL CODE CHAPTER 21. SEXUAL OFFENSES". Statutes.legis.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ^ "Doritos Ad is Just a Chip Off the ol' Political Block". Sports Business Daily. January 27, 1995.
- ^ "Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Dies at 73". The New York Times. September 13, 2009.
- ^ Johnson, Darragh (March 25, 2006). "Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood's Choice Leader". The Washington Post.
- ^ West, Paul (January 16, 2004). "Former rival endorses Dean as '04 race tightens in Iowa". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ "Larry King Live". CNN. September 30, 2004.
- ^ Kelley, Michael (November 16, 1989). "Richards calls education No. 1 priority" (PDF). The Batallion.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Book Review – Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis by Ann Richards" (formal review), Steve Labinski, webpage: Texana-Texas-AR.
- ^ "School Overview". Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "School Overview". Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Sarah Linder, "Richards was a Friend of Texas film" (filmmaking), "Austin American Statesman", Austin, Texas, 2006-09-14, web: AR Archived October 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Ives, S., Abramson, J., Wood, G. C., Duncan, D., Burns, K., PBS Video., & WETA-TV (Television station : Washington, D.C.). (1996). The West. Alexandria, VA: PBS. (4:45)
- ^ About the film, The Sam Houston Project, retrieved on March 20, 2017.
- ^ King, Michael (September 22, 2006). "Point Austin: Austin Girl". Austin Chronicle.
- ^ a b Smith, Liz, Spotlight: Driving Ms. Richards, Vanity Fair, March 2013, p. 365.
- ^ Norwood, Don (2007 January), Making Strides in Esophageal Cancer, OncoLog [2] Archived August 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stanton, Ryan (September 15, 2006). "Richards' Death Highlights Rise in Esophageal Cancer". ABC News. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ^ AP, "Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, 73, dies" (CNN.com), 2006-09-13, web: [3]: on death at home, with family. Archived September 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- KVUE-TV, "Richards services finalized", News for Austin, Texas: KVUE.com, September 15, 2006, web: KVUE-Richards.
- ^ Michael E. Eidenmuller (February 13, 2009). "Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century by Rank". American Rhetoric. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ "u2songs | The Women of Ultra Violet: Light My (Mysterious) Ways: Leg 1 |". www.u2songs.com. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Henricksen, Sean (February 17, 2023). "Why is Gay Sex Still Against the Law in Texas?". Sean Henricksen. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "When Democrats Do Bad Things - Response". www.glapn.org. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Jill Cozzi, "Bush's Brain" (film review), Mixed Reviews, 2004, web: MixedReviews-BB Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Wayne Slater, (December 12, 2010) One-woman play about ex-Texas Gov. Ann Richards portrays a real 'piece of work', The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
- ^ "Holland Taylor Led ANN to Open at Vivian Beaumont Theater on March 7". broadwayworld.com. September 24, 2012.
- ^ "Ann | About | Great Performances | PBS". Great Performances. May 19, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Ann Richards' Texas (2012)". IMDb.com. October 24, 2012.
References
- Ann Richards, Richard U. Levine, I'm Not Slowing Down; Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis, publisher: Plume, July 27, 2004, paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 0-452-28412-0.
- Ann Richards, Richard U. Levine, I'm Not Slowing Down; Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis, publisher: ISBN 0-525-94691-8.
- Ann Richards, Peter Knobler, Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places, publisher: ISBN 0-671-68073-0.