Richards, Ann (1933-2006), served as governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. She was the second woman to hold the office. Miriam A. Ferguson , who served from 1925 to 1927 and from 1933 to 1935, was the first. Richards, a Democrat known for her sharp wit, was the first woman to be elected Texas state treasurer.
Ann Richards was born Dorothy Ann Willis on Sept. 1, 1933, in Lakeview (now Lacy-Lakeview), Texas. As a teenager, she dropped the name Dorothy and became known as Ann. As a student at Waco High School, she excelled in debates and showed an early interest in politics. In 1950, she entered Baylor University , where she studied speech and government. She graduated in 1954. In 1953, Ann married David Richards, who later became a civil rights attorney. The couple, who had four children, divorced in 1984.
Following her graduation from Baylor, Ann Richards earned a teaching certificate at the University of Texas at Austin. She then taught social studies at a junior high in Austin . She and her family later moved to Dallas , where she became active in local politics. After returning to Austin in 1969, Richards managed successful state legislative campaigns for female Democratic candidates.
In 1976, Richards won an election to become a commissioner of Travis County, Texas. She was the first woman to hold the position. She was reelected in 1980. Her activities as commissioner included supervising road projects and developing a number of social service agencies to assist women and families. In 1982, Richards became the first woman to be elected Texas state treasurer. She was reelected in 1986. Richards gained national attention with her keynote speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards also wrote a memoir, Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places (1989).
In 1990, Richards was elected governor of Texas. As governor, she focused on such issues as prison reform and financing for public schools. Texas instituted a state lottery during Richards’s time as governor.
In 1994, Richards was defeated by Republican George W. Bush in her bid for reelection. She later worked as a political consultant and taught courses on politics. Richards died on Sept. 13, 2006.
