Ann Richards: Charming and Disarming

In delivering the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Ann Richards rose to national prominence. Her eloquent and inspiring speech set the course for her future in politics. She was elected Texas´ second female governor in 1990 and served through 1994. Governor Richards shattered gender barriers for generations of Texas women. From reforming the Texas health insurance system to creating an ethics commission charged with holding state agencies accountable, Governor Richards was a trailblazer. She oversaw the revival of the state's economy, and she emphasized governmental efficiency by ordering comprehensive audits of every state agency. With education as a focus, she introduced ”site—based management” to shift power into the hands of the parents and teachers at the campus level. Her vision of reform exemplified her deep interest in social causes such as equality, gay rights, and women's rights; and it was best articulated with her campaign slogan ”New Texas.”

Born Dorothy Ann Willis in Lakeview, Texas, the only child of Robert Cecil Willis and Mildred Iona Warren, she grew up in Waco. Early on, she got her first taste of politics participating in Girls´ State, an annual conference of female high school students interested in learning the importance and value of democratic systems of government.

Governor Richards graduated from Waco High School in 1950. She earned a debate scholarship to Baylor University, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She married her high school sweetheart David Richards and moved to Austin, where she earned a teaching certificate from the University of Texas. After graduation, she taught Social Studies and History at Fulmore Junior High School in Austin, Texas, from 1955 to 1956. Much of time was spent volunteering for political campaigns and causes, especially those focusing on civil rights and economic justice. She had two daughters, Cecile and Ellen, and two sons, Daniel and Clark. She campaigned for such notable Texas liberals and progressives as: Henry B. Gonzalez, Ralph Yarborough, and Sarah Weddington. In 1976, Governor Richards entered politics, as a candidate, and ran against and defeated a three—term incumbent on the Travis County, Texas Commissioner Court. She held the position for six years. She then was elected State Treasurer in 1982, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in more than fifty years. Credited with greatly modernizing the operations of the treasury, she was reelected in 1986 without opposition.

Two years later, as the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, she described herself as a real Texan and established herself as a feminist, as noted by one of her more memorable quotes: ”After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” During this speech, she introduced the nation to her charismatic and tough—talking style. The speech brought her much attention and opened the door to a gubernatorial run. As events played out, Texas's Republican governor, Bill Clements, chose not to run for re—election in 1990. Ann Richards threw her hat in the ring and presented herself as a sensible progressive feminist. With appeal to suburban voters and the traditional Democratic base of African—Americans and Hispanics, she won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination against Attorney General (and former congressman) James Albon ”Jim” Mattox . The Republicans nominated multi—millionaire rancher Clayton Wheat Williams, Jr. After a ”spirited” contest, Richards narrowly won on November 6, 1990 by a margin of 49—47 percent.

She was able to attract a number of Republican crossover and independent voters in the general election —— including 61 percent of women voters. The woman, known for her irreverent sense of humor and take—charge approach, was inaugurated governor the following January. She was a ”minority governor” because her popular vote was below 50 percent, which served as a testament to how hard Richards fought to win Texas´ top political office and how hard she would fight while in office to implement reform.

As she came into office, the Texas economy had been in a slump since the mid—1980s. With the downturn in the U.S. economy, Richards took action to steer the Texas economy towards recovery. She responded with a program of economic revitalization that yielded growth in 1991 of 2 percent at a time when the U.S. economy as a whole shrank. In an attempt to save money, she streamlined Texas's government and regulatory institutions for the business sector, as well as the public sector. It is important to note that her efforts in the former helped revive Texas's corporate infrastructure for its explosive economic growth later in the decade, along with saving $6 billion dollars on state bureaucracy through audits.

She was not only actively working to address Texas´ economic issues, but also reforming other areas of the government. In the area of law enforcement, Richards reformed the Texas prison system, by 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. She also supported proposals to reduce the sale of semi—automatic firearms and ”cop—killer” bullets in the state. Legislatively, she signed into law the amendment of the Texas Financial Responsibility Law requiring motorists to have a valid auto insurance policy when renewing a motor vehicle's registration (as well as initial registration of a motor vehicle,) safety inspection sticker, driver's license and/or obtaining new license plates. Various initiatives were also begun in the area of school finance, the Texas Lottery, for example, was instituted as a supplemental financial tool for public education. The famous Robin Hood plan, which attempted to make school funding more equitable across school districts, was launched in the 1992—1993 biennium. She instituted ”site—based management” in an attempt to distribute control over education policy to districts and individual campuses. During her term as governor, Richards was also well—known for her unprecedented appointments of women and minorities to important posts.

At the end of her first term, she was a popular governor. However, she did not survive the conservative Republican wave that swept the nation in 1994. She was narrowly defeated in her reelection bid by George W. Bush. After leaving the governor´s office, she was a senior advisor to the communications firm Public Strategies, Inc. 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. She sat on the boards of the Aspen Institute, J.C. Penney, and T.I.G. Holdings. Even in her years outside of public office, she continued to demonstrate an interest in the same social causes that guided her campaign and governorship. A consummate campaigner for Democratic candidates throughout the United States, she endorsed Howard Dean for the Democratic nomination, and campaigned on his behalf. Later, she did the same for Democratic nominee John Kerry, where she stressed the importance of health care and women's rights. She was even mentioned as a potential possible running mate to Kerry. She did not make his list of top finalists. And as for her, Richards said she was ”not interested” in any degree of a political comeback.

She also continued to teach in her later years. 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 trustee of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and she was reelected in 2004, and continued to hold the position until her death. In March 2006, Richards disclosed that she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She received treatment at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Sadly, she passed from the esophageal cancer on the evening of September 13, 2006, surrounded by her family. She was survived by her four children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren. Three memorial services were held.

Ann Richards was known for many things, among them, her charm, her ability to engage with the public, and her elegant Texas twang. Those who knew her would say that she was the same in and out of the spotlight. ”She was idealistic and inspiring, but also tough—minded and practical,” recalled Washington writer Celia Morris, author of ”Storming the Statehouse.” (1992) While Ann Richards was not the first woman to occupy the office of Governor in Texas, she was the first woman elected in her own right. Her victory marked the high point of Democratic Party power and influence in the Lone Star State.