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This article is about the American politician/teacher, for the Australian-American actress, see Ann Richards (actress). Ann Richards (13 December 1917 – 25 August 2006 was an Australian American actress For the American jazz singer, see Ann Richards (singer). Ann Richards ( October 1, 1935 - April 1, 1982) was an American jazz singer

Ann Richards
Ann Richards

Ann Richards' official portrait as Governor of Texas,
painted by James E. Tennison[1][2]
In office
January 15, 1991 – January 17, 1995
Lieutenant Bob Bullock
Preceded by Bill Clements
Succeeded by George W. Bush
Born September 1, 1933(1933-09-01)
Lakeview, Texas
Died September 13, 2006 (aged 73)
Austin, Texas
Political party Democratic
Spouse David Richards (div. Governors of Texas Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the United States of America. Robert D "Bob" Bullock ( July 10, 1929 – June 18, 1999) was a Democratic Politician from Texas, William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr (born April 17, 1917) is the first Republican to have served as Governor of the U George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lacy Lakeview is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. )
Alma mater Baylor University
Profession Teacher

Dorothy Ann Willis Richards (September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician from Texas. Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Baylor University is a private, Baptist -affiliated Research University located in Waco Texas. In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. In many Governments a treasurer is the person responsible for running the Treasury. The 1988 National Convention of the US Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta Georgia from July 18 &ndash July Richards served as Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was defeated for re-election in 1994 by George W. Bush. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Born during the start of the Depression in rural Texas, she died in Austin from esophageal cancer at the age of seventy-three. Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the Esophagus. There are various subtypes [3] Ann Richards was the second female governor of Texas.

Contents

Early life

Dorothy Ann Willis was born in Lakeview (now part of Lacy-Lakeview), McLennan County, the only child of Robert Cecil Willis and Mildred Iona Warren. Lacy Lakeview is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. McLennan County is a County located in the US state of Texas. She grew up in Waco, participated in Girls State, and graduated from Waco High School in 1950. Waco (ˈweɪkoʊ is a city in and the County seat of McLennan County, Texas. Boys State and Girls State are summer leadership and citizenship programs sponsored by The American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary for High She attended Baylor University on a debate scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree. Baylor University is a private, Baptist -affiliated Research University located in Waco Texas. Debate ( American English) or debating ( British English) is a formal method of interactive and position representational Argument. After marrying high school sweetheart David "Dave" Richards, she moved to Austin, where she earned a teaching certificate from the University of Texas. David and Ann Richards had four children: Cecile, Daniel, Clark, and Ellen. Cecile Richards is the current president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Richards taught social studies and history at Fulmore Junior High School in Austin from 1955-1956. Social Studies is a term used to describe the broad study of the various fields which involve past and current human behavior and interactions History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She campaigned for Texas liberals and progressives such as Henry B. Gonzalez, Ralph Yarborough, and future U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes. Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. Henry Barbosa González ( May 3, 1916 &ndash November 28, 2000) was a Democratic Politician from the state Ralph Webster Yarborough ( June 08, 1903 – January 27, 1996) was a Texas Democratic politician who served in the In the United States the title of federal judge usually refers to a Judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Sarah Tilghman Hughes ( August 2, 1896 &ndash April 23, 1985) was an American lawyer and federal judge who swore-in

Political career

Early political career

By the 1970s, Richards was an accomplished political worker, having worked to elect liberal Democrats Sarah Weddington and Wilhelmina Delco to the Texas Legislature, and having presented training sessions throughout the state on campaign techniques for women candidates and managers. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Sarah Ragle Weddington (born February 5, 1945 in Abilene Texas) is a American Attorney and lecturer The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. She supported ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U. The Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA) is a failed proposed amendment to the United States Constitution intended to guarantee equal rights under the S. Constitution, presenting the amendment to the delegates of the National Women's Conference, held in Houston (1977). (The amendment was never ratified by enough states to become part of the Constitution. )

In 1976, Richards ran against and defeated a three-term incumbent on the four-member Travis County, Texas Commissioners' Court; she took 81. Travis County is located in the US state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. 4 percent of the vote against Libertarian opponent Laurel Freeman to win re-election in 1980. During this time, her marriage ended, in part because of the strain of politics on the relationship. Richards' drinking became more pronounced, and she sought and completed treatment for alcoholism in 1980. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions David Richards is a prominent civil rights attorney in California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

State Treasurer

After the incumbent state treasurer, Warren G. Harding (no relation to the former U. S. president of the same name), became mired in legal troubles in 1982, Richards won the Democratic nomination for that post. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) 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. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) 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. 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. Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

1988 Democratic National Convention

Richards's keynote address to the 1988 Democratic National Convention put her in the national spotlight. The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. The speech was highly critical of the Reagan Administration and then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Her address was notable for including several humorous remarks displaying her down-home Texas charm such as: "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth. " [4] 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's convention address has been cited by rhetorical experts as a historically significant speech. [5] The speech set the tone for her political future; she was a real Texan who established herself as a candidate who appealed to suburban voters as well as to the traditional Democratic base that included African Americans and Hispanics. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically In 1989, with co-author Peter Knobler, she wrote her autobiography, "Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places".

Governorship

In 1990, Texas' Republican governor, Bill Clements, decided not to run for re-election. William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr (born April 17, 1917) is the first Republican to have served as Governor of the U Richards painted herself as a sensible progressive, and won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination against Attorney General (and former congressman) James Albon "Jim" Mattox of Dallas and former Governor Mark White of Houston. James Albon "Jim" Mattox (born August 29, 1943) is a Dallas lawyer and Texas Democratic politician who served three terms Mark Wells White (born March 17 1940) is an American lawyer who served as the forty-third Governor of Texas from 1983 - 1987 Mattox ran a particularly abrasive campaign against Richards, accusing her of having had drug problems beyond alcoholism. The Republicans nominated multi-millionaire rancher Clayton Wheat Williams, Jr. After a brutal campaign and a series of legendary gaffes by Williams (most notably a remark about rape) in the final weeks before the election, Richards narrowly won on November 6, 1990 by a margin of 49-47 percent; she was inaugurated governor the following January. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Clayton Wheat "Claytie" Williams Jr (born October 8, 1931) a Businessman from Midland Texas, was the unsuccessful Republican Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) [1]

She was a "minority governor" because her popular vote was below 50 percent. Although officially she was the second woman to hold Texas's top office, Richards is considered the first woman elected governor in her own right, since twice-elected Miriam "Ma" Ferguson is often discounted as having been a proxy for impeached governor James E. "Pa" Ferguson, her husband. Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson ( June 13 1875 – June 25 1961) became the first female Governor of Texas in 1925 James Edward "Pa" Ferguson ( August 31, 1871 - September 21, 1944) was a United States Politician from the

The Texas economy had been in a slump since the mid-1980s, compounded by a downturn in the U. The economy of Texas is a dominant force in the Economy of the United States. S. economy. Richards responded with a program of economic revitalization, yielding growth in 1991 of 2 percent when the U.S. economy as a whole shrank. The Economy of the United States is the largest national economy in the world Richards also attempted to streamline Texas's government and regulatory institutions for business and the public; her efforts in the former helped to revitalize Texas's corporate infrastructure for its explosive economic growth later in the decade, and her audits on the state bureaucracy saved $6 billion.

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). This is a list of state Prisons in Texas. It does not include federal prisons or county jails located in the state of Texas Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a Drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health She backed proposals to reduce the sale of semi-automatic firearms and "cop-killer" bullets in the state. A semi-automatic, or self-loading Firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired unlike a single-action

During her first term, she signed into law the amendment of the Texas Financial Responsibility Law where renewal of a motor vehicle's registration (also covers initial registration of a motor vehicle), safety inspection sticker, driver's license, and/or obtaining new license plates require that a motorist must have a valid auto insurance policy. The law, which passed on September 1, 1991, broadens the 1982 law where a police officer will request a driver's license and proof of insurance during a traffic stop. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle.

She appointed then State Representative Lena Guerrero of Austin to a vacancy on the Texas Railroad Commission. The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. Lena Guerrero Aguirre, known as Lena Guerrero ( November 27, 1957 &ndash April 24, 2008) was the first woman and the first person The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities pipeline safety safety in the Liquefied petroleum The Hispanic Guerrero (1957-2008) was the first non-Anglo to serve on the commission in history. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The term Anglo is used as a prefix to indicate a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the phrases ' Anglo-Saxon ' ' However, problems over falsification of her resume led to her resignation from the commission and defeat by the Republican Barry Williamson in the 1992 general election. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

Governor Ann Richards visiting NASA/JSC in 1992
Governor Ann Richards visiting NASA/JSC in 1992

The Texas Lottery was also instituted during her governorship - advocated as a means of supplementing school finances; Ann Richards purchased the first lottery ticket on May 29, 1992, in Oak Hill near Austin. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The Lyndon B Johnson Space Flight Center ( "JSFC") is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's center for Lotteries in the United States are run by individual jurisdictions A lottery is a form of Gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Oak Hill Texas is a neighborhood in southwest Austin Texas. Neighborhoods The neighborhoods in Oak Hill are Appaloosa Run Circle C Ranch [6]

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 which attempted to make school funding more equitable across school districts. The Robin Hood plan was a media nickname given to legislation enacted by the U Richards also sought to decentralize control over education policy to districts and individual campuses; she instituted "site-based management" to this end.

She was famous for her personal charisma, for her ease with the public, and even for her see-through wispy white hairdo. It was said that many people who knew her personally saw little if any difference between her public and private personas. Her sense of humor was often part of her day-to-day political life. Regarding a concealed weapons bill, she was asked if she didn't think the women of Texas might feel safer if they could carry guns in their purses. She replied, "Well I'm not a sexist, but there is not a woman in this state who could find a gun in her handbag, much less a lipstick. " On the subject of women in politics, Richards observed during her 1988 Democratic National Convention keynote address that "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels. "

She was unexpectedly defeated in 1994 by George W. Bush, winning 46 percent of the vote to Bush's 53 percent, despite spending 23% more than the Bush campaign. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. [7] The Richards campaign had hoped for a misstep from the relatively inexperienced Republican candidate, but none appeared, and Richards created one of her own in calling Bush "some jerk". [8] In their book, James Moore and Wayne Slater allege that Bush and his advisor, Karl Rove, also resorted to using a smear campaign against Richards. Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W [9] Other people attribute her loss to the fact that she vetoed the Concealed Carry Bill that would have allowed licensed citizens to carry guns for self-defense inside public establishments without the owner's permission. Bush would thereafter sign a concealed-gun law, which was pushed by a future Republican lawmaker, state Representative Suzanna Hupp of the Killeen-based district. Suzanna Gratia Hupp (born January 1, 1959) is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, who represented traditionally Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 112434 at the 2000 census. Another factor may have been President Bill Clinton and the national democratic party's unpopularity in Texas at the time, as Richards had played a prominent role in the 1992 Democratic National Convention and the Bush campaign successfully associated her with the national party.

Post governorship

Beginning in 2001, Richards 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. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Richards sat on the boards of the Aspen Institute, J.C. Penney, and T. The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies J C Penney Company Inc ( most commonly known today by the name JCPenney or simply Penneys) is a mid-range chain of American Department stores I. G. Holdings.

One of her daughters, Cecile Richards, also a liberal activist, became president of Planned Parenthood in 2006. Cecile Richards is the current president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Planned Parenthood is the collective name of organizations worldwide who are members of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF Ann Richards demonstrated interest in social causes such as equality, abortion, gay rights and women's rights. Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect An Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender social movements share related goals of social acceptance of Homosexuality, Bisexuality and Transgenderism Lesbian

She was a tireless campaigner for Democratic candidates throughout the United States. In the 2004 presidential election, Richards endorsed Howard Dean for the Democratic nomination, and campaigned on his behalf. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. Howard Brush Dean III, (born November 17 1948 is an American Richards later stumped for Democratic nominee John Kerry, highlighting the issues of health care and women's rights. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing 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. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Johnny Reid "John" Edwards (born June 10 1953 Richards for her part said she was "not interested" in any degree of a political comeback.

Teaching

Ann Richards had taught social studies and history at Fulmore Junior High School in Austin (1955-1956). She continued teaching in later years.

Richards served at Brandeis University as the Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Visiting Professor of Politics from 1997 to 1998. Brandeis University is a private research University with a Liberal arts focus located in Waltham Massachusetts, United States. 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. One of the early centers of the Industrial Revolution in northern America Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

She was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 1996, having lost 3/4 inch in height and broken her hand and ankle. Osteoporosis is a Disease of Bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. She changed her diet and lifestyle, and then her bone density stabilized. She spoke frequently about this experience, teaching or advocating a healthier lifestyle for women at risk of the disease. In 2004, she authored I'm Not Slowing Down, with Dr. Richard U. Levine (M.D.), which describes her own battle with osteoporosis and offers guidance to others with the disease. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral

In a review of I'm Not Slowing Down by Steve Labinski, [10] the book was described as inspiring women to fight the disease with various tactics, such as:

Reviewer Labinski also noted that in the mission to help women overcome osteoporosis, Ann Richards had created a useful, and often humorous, book that would inspire many. [10]

In the fall of 2005, Ann Richards taught a class called "Women and Leadership" at the University of Texas at Austin: twenty-one female students were selected for that class.

Arts and Film

One of Governor Richards' 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. The Texas Music Office (TMO is a state-funded business promotion office and information clearinghouse for the Texas music industry William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr (born April 17, 1917) is the first Republican to have served as Governor of the U Preston Smith may refer to Preston Smith (Texas (1912–2003 Texas governor 1969–1973 Preston Smith (general, Civil War Confederate Richards' longtime personal interest in Texas film and music greatly raised the public profile of both industries, and bringing these two programs into the Governor's Office institutionalized these industries as key, high profile parts of Texas' future economic growth plans. Other Richards 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. [11] She was involved with the Texas Film Hall of Fame from the beginning. The Texas Film Hall of Fame, which operates under the auspices of the Austin Film Society, was co-founded in 2001 by Louis Black, At the first ceremony, she inducted Liz Smith. Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Smith (born February 2 1923 in Fort Worth Texas) is an American Gossip columnist. She was emcee every subsequent year but had to cancel at the last minute in 2006 because of her diagnosis with cancer.

Ann Richards in February 2005
Ann Richards in February 2005

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 Los Angeles to market her state. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Gary Bond, director of the Austin Film Commission, noted, "She was far from being the first governor to appoint a film commissioner; I think she was the first that really brought the focus of Hollywood to Texas. "

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 brought the Film Commission into the Governor’s office, where it remains today. She gave more focus to film as a business than had been done in the past.

Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly Magazine and president of the Austin Film Society board of directors, commented about Ann Richards and the film industry:

Ann Richards also lent her trademark voice and command of language to the screen. She narrated the popular and humorous documentary film "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story" for young Austin director Chris Elley, going as far as holding a slimy BBQ rib in front of her face for publicity photos. Chris Elley (born September 15 1977 is the founder and current Director of Austin Texas-based film production company Electro-Fish Media LLC During the voice session, she even helped revise the script. In the audio booth, she pointed out a phrase in the original script that was too vague in her opinion by joking "What does that mean?! It doesn't mean anything. It sounds like something George Bush would say. " Richards also voiced parts in the Disney film "Home on the Range" and the Fox TV series "King of the Hill."

It is believed her last appearance in film was in a short public announcement used at the Alamo Drafthouse asking patrons to not be disruptive during the film. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, United States. [12] The Alamo Drafthouse still uses it today, with an addition at the end in honor of Ann Richards.

Ann Richards was active in the Austin City Limits Festivals, and the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival: the interactive, music, and film festival, held each year in Austin. Austin City Limits is an American Television music program and a staple of the Public Broadcasting Service. South by Southwest ( SXSW) is a set of interactive, Film, and Music festivals and conferences that take place South by Southwest ( SXSW) is a set of interactive, Film, and Music festivals and conferences that take place

Final year

In 2006, the Austin Independent School District announced the opening of The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, a college preparatory school for girls, with grades 6-12 which opened in the fall of 2007. Austin Independent School District is a School district that is based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. The intellectual focus is math, science and technology, while the physical focus is building strength through good nutrition, exercise and other wellness strategies.

In March 2006, Richards disclosed that she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the Esophagus. There are various subtypes She received treatment at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston [2]. The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center is one of the nation's original three comprehensive Cancer centers established by the National Cancer Act of 1971 She died from the esophageal cancer on September 13, 2006, at night in her home in Austin, surrounded by her family. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [13] She was survived by her four children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren.

Awards

During her career, Ann Richards received many awards and honors including: Baylor Distinguished Alumna, the Texas NAACP Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Rights, the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award, the Orden del Aguila Azteca (Order of the Aztec Eagle) presented by the government of Mexico, the Maurice N. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame honoree for Public Service.

The Ann Richards Middle School in La Joya, Texas is named for Governor Richards. La Joya is a town on US Highway 83 between Mission and Rio Grande City in western Hidalgo County, Texas, United States

On November 16, 2006, The City of Austin changed the official name of Congress Avenue Bridge to "Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. The Ann W Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known simply as the Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas "

Memorial services

The Capitol Rotunda in Austin, Texas
The Capitol Rotunda in Austin, Texas[14]
In the Texas Capitol Rotunda, many yellow roses were left in memory of Ann Richards.
In the Texas Capitol Rotunda, many yellow roses were left in memory of Ann Richards. [15]

Three services[16] for Ann Richards were held:

Recorded blues and jazz songs were played for hours, including Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," [17] as the 3,800 attendees arrived. Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) is an American Singer-songwriter and Actor. Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. " Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain " is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. A brass quintet played somber ensemble pieces as family and friends entered the arena, including a slow, instrumental "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," followed by gospel solo music from the Wesley United Methodist Church Intergenerational Choir. " Over the Rainbow " (sometimes mistakenly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a Song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E Wesley United Methodist Church is a historic church in east Austin Texas that has served the Austin community continuously since 1865 and is considered to be one of the leading Operatic soprano Jessye Norman sang a rare version of Ave Maria and, later, other inspirational music. Jessye Norman (born September 15, 1945) is a four time Grammy award winning African American opera singer
Columnist Liz Smith related many stories about Ann Richards and said, "Ann Richards was the most alive person I have ever known: let's keep her that way, in our hearts. "
The video tribute[17] to Ann Richards included old photographs and recent video clips, introduced by the song "Don't Fence Me In" sung by Willie Nelson. Originally written in 1934 for Adios Argentina an unproduced 20th Century Fox film musical "Don't Fence Me In" was based on text by a poet and engineer with the Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Actor. The scenes showed Ann Richards as a young Travis County commissioner and later as state treasurer and governor. Travis County is located in the US state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. One of the photographs showed Ann Richards holding the t-shirt labelled "A Woman's Place is in the Dome" (Texas Capitol Dome).

At noon on Monday, September 18, 2006, all across Texas, church bells were rung in memory of Ann Richards. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Popular culture

In 2001, Governor Richards guest starred in a fifth season episode of the Texas-based animated TV series King of the Hill. King of the Hill is an American animated series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company In the episode entitled "Hank and the Great Glass Elevator", she gets mooned and then enters into a brief relationship with Bill Dauterive. William Fontaine DeLaTour "Bill" Dauterive (born Guillaume Fontaine de la Tour d'Haute Rive) is a character in the animated series King of

Film Bush's Brain: Ann Richards was a topic in the film Bush's Brain (by Joseph Mealey and Michael Shoob), in a long segment regarding her defeat in the 1994 election for Texas Governor. Bush's Brain How Karl Rove Made George W Bush Presidential is a book by James Moore and Wayne Slater that chronicles the political career of Karl The film presents the case that the defeat of Richards involved a whispering campaign that the governor (mother of four children) was a lesbian because she had allegedly hired many gays and lesbians to work on her re-election campaign. [18] At the time, there were also allegations of cocaine abuse by the candidates.

Issue over Death Penalty

Under state law, Texas governors do not have the power to commute death penalty sentences, only to briefly postpone an execution pending further review by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (most members of which are appointed by the governor - including the chairman, who according to the Texas Administrative Code serves "at the pleasure of the governor" (RULE §141. Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Capital punishment has been used in the US state of Texas and its predecessor entities since 1819 1)). Bowing to the reality of the pro-death penalty Texas legislature, Ann Richards was not a vocal critic of the Texas death penalty law while governor. While campaigning for governor, she was asked if she supported or opposed the death penalty. She said, "I will uphold the laws of the State of Texas. " The reporter then asked, "But what would you do if the Legislature passed a bill repealing the death penalty?" to which she replied, "I would faint. " Her stance disappointed various human rights groups including Amnesty International. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to Among other death penalty cases, those executed while Richards was Governor were Johnny Frank Garrett[19], a man whom Amnesty cited as being "extremely mentally impaired, chronically psychotic and brain-damaged. Johnny Frank Garrett (December 24 1963 – February 11 1992 was a Texas inmate Executed for the Rape and Murder of Sister Tadea Benz on October 31 " The organization further states that a mental health expert described Garrett as "one of the most virulent histories of abuse and neglect. . . I have encountered in 28 years of practice. "

Notes

  1. ^ a b "The Paintings of James E. Tennison" (portrait artist), 2007, webpage: JTenn-bio: states James E. Tennison painted portrait of Ann Richards, for the State Capitol in Austin (as governor).
  2. ^ The official portrait of Ann Richards as Governor of Texas hangs in the State Capitol building in Austin, TX. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. In the portrait, note below the pearl necklace, a white-star pin symbolizing the state of Texas, as the "Lone Star State" (has one star on flag); the original portrait also shows skin lines much darker than appear in the low-resolution excerpt image of the portrait, painted by James E. Tennison, in the 1990s. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999
  3. ^ CBS/AP, "Former Texas Gov. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Ann Richards Dies At Age 73, After A Six-Month Battle With Esophageal Cancer," CBSNews. com, September 13, 2006, web: CBSNews-Richards.
  4. ^ 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". The English language expression silver spoon is an expression for wealth someone born into a wealthy family is said to have "been born with a silver spoon in his mouth"
  5. ^ American Rhetoric: Ann Richards - Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
  6. ^ Texas State Library & Archives Commission, "Prints and Photographs Collection - Ann Richards" (first Lottery ticket), www. tsl. state. tx. us, 2005-11-02, web: TxUS-Riachards-Lottery: Governor Ann Richards bought the first scratch-off lottery ticket at Polk's Feed Store in Oak Hill, Texas, on May 29, 1992. A scratchcard (also called a scratch off, scratch ticket, scratcher, scratchie, scratch-it, scratch game, scratch-and-win Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Sales of Lotto Texas' computer-picked random number tickets began six months later.
  7. ^ Texas Major Party Gubernatorial Candidates' Total General Election Expenditures, 1978-2002
  8. ^ Baseball Owner to Governor
  9. ^ Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential
  10. ^ a b c d Book Review - Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis by Ann Richards" (formal review), Steve Labinski, webpage: Texana-Texas-AR. Bush's Brain How Karl Rove Made George W Bush Presidential is a book by James Moore and Wayne Slater that chronicles the political career of Karl
  11. ^ a b Sarah Linder, "Richards was a Friend of Texas film" (filmmaking), "Austin American Statesman", Austin, Texas, 2006-09-14, web: AR.
  12. ^ King, Michael. "Point Austin: Austin Girl", Austin Chronicle, 2006-09-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians  
  13. ^ AP, "Former Texas Gov. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Ann Richards, 73, dies" (CNN. com), 2006-09-13, web: CNN-AR-obit: on death at home, with family.
  14. ^ The casket of Ann Richards was carried into the Capitol Rotunda (Austin, Texas) on September 16, 2006 at 8:15 a. m.
  15. ^ "Richards threw herself into treatment, ignoring the odds" (Friday), 2006-09-15, Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, web: AAS-AR-odds.
  16. ^ KVUE-TV, "Richards services finalized", News for Austin, Texas: KVUE. KVUE is the local Austin Texas -based ABC affiliate owned by Belo Corporation com, September 15, 2006, web: KVUE-Richards.
  17. ^ a b c d "Texas says farewell to Ann Richards" (services), Associated Press, 2006-09-18, kvue. com, webpage: KVUE-ARichards3.
  18. ^ Jill Cozzi, "Bush's Brain" (film review), Mixed Reviews, 2004, web: MixedReviews-BB.
  19. ^ [1]

References

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Bill Clements		 Governor of Texas
1991–1995		 Succeeded by
George W. Bush
Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr (born April 17, 1917) is the first Republican to have served as Governor of the U Governors of Texas George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.
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