Ann Richards
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2008-07-16T20:00:18Z
207.191.216.101
/* Early life */
''This article is about the American politician/teacher, for the Australian-American actress, see [[Ann Richards (actress)]]. For the American jazz singer, see [[Ann Richards (singer)]].''
{{Infobox_Governor
|name= Ann Richards
|image= AnnRichards.jpg
|caption=Ann Richards' official portrait as Governor of Texas,<br/>
painted by James E. Tennison<ref name=JTenn/> <ref> <!--
--> The official portrait of Ann Richards as Governor of<!--
--> [[Texas]] hangs in the State Capitol building in<!--
--> [[Austin, TX]]. 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.<!--
--></ref> <ref>[http://www.jamestennison.com/gallery/richards.html The artist's own website image of Governor Ann Richards' official portrait, painted by James E. Tennison]</ref>
|order=45th
|office= Governor of Texas
|term_start= [[January 15]] [[1991]]
|term_end= [[January 17]] [[1995]]
|lieutenant= [[Bob Bullock]]
|predecessor= [[Bill Clements]]
|successor= [[George W. Bush]]
|birth_date= {{birth date|1933|9|1|mf=y}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|2006|9|13|1933|9|1|mf=y}}
|birth_place= [[Lacy-Lakeview, Texas|Lakeview]], [[Texas]]
|death_date= {{death date and age |2006|09|13|1933|09|01}}
|death_place= [[Austin, Texas]]
|spouse= David Richards (div.)
|alma_mater= [[Baylor University]]
|profession=[[Teacher]]
|party= [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|footnotes=
}}
'''Dorothy Ann Willis Richards''' ([[September 1]], [[1933]] – [[September 13]], [[2006]]) was an [[Politics of the United States|American politician]] from [[Texas]]. She first came to national attention as the state [[treasurer]] of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the [[1988 Democratic National Convention]]. Richards served as Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was defeated for re-election in 1994 by [[George W. Bush]].
<ref>
[[CBS]]/[[Associated Press|AP]], "Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards Dies At Age 73, After A
Six-Month Battle With Esophageal Cancer," ''CBSNews.com'', September 13, 2006, web:
[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/13/politics/main2007187.shtml CBSNews-Richards].
</ref> Ann Richards was the second [[List of Female State Governors|female governor]] of Texas.
==Early life==
Dorothy Ann Willis was born in [[Lacy-Lakeview, Texas|Lakeview]] (now part of Lacy-Lakeview), [[McLennan County, Texas|McLennan County]], the only child of Robert Cecil Willis and Mildred Iona Warren. She grew up in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], participated in [[Girls State]], and graduated from Waco High School in 1950. She attended [[Baylor University]] on a [[debate]] scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree. After marrying high school sweetheart David "Dave" Richards, she moved to [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], where she earned a teaching certificate from the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]]. David and Ann Richards had four children named [[Cecile Richards|Cecile]], Daniel, Clark, and Ellen.
Richards taught [[social studies]] and [[history]] at Fulmore [[Junior High School]] in Austin from 1955-1956. She campaigned for Texas [[American liberalism|liberals]] and [[progressivism|progressives]] such as [[Henry B. Gonzalez]], [[Ralph Yarborough]], and future [[U.S. District Judge]] [[Sarah T. Hughes]].
==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. She supported ratification of the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] to the U.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 81.4 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. David Richards is a prominent civil rights attorney in [[California]].
===State Treasurer===
After the incumbent state treasurer, [[Warren G. Harding (Texas politician)|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. 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. 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's keynote address to the 1988 [[Democratic National Convention]] put her in the national spotlight. The speech was highly critical of the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]] and then-[[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[George H. W. Bush]]. 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."
<ref>
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".
</ref>
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.
<ref>[http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm American Rhetoric: Ann Richards - Democratic National Convention Keynote Address<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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 American]]s and [[Hispanic]]s. 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 Party (United States)|Republican]] governor, [[Bill Clements]], decided not to run for re-election. Richards painted herself as a sensible progressive, and won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination against Attorney General (and former congressman) [[Jim Mattox|James Albon "Jim" Mattox]] of Dallas and former Governor [[Mark White]] of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. Mattox ran a particularly abrasive campaign against Richards, accusing her of having had drug problems beyond alcoholism. The Republicans nominated multi-millionaire [[rancher]] [[Clayton Williams|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.
<ref name="JTenn">
"The Paintings of James E. Tennison" (portrait artist),
2007, webpage:
[http://www.jamestennison.com/bio.html JTenn-bio]:
states James E. Tennison painted portrait of Ann Richards,
for the State Capitol in Austin (as governor).
</ref>
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 A. Ferguson|Miriam "Ma" Ferguson]] is often discounted as having been a proxy for impeached governor [[James E. Ferguson|James E. "Pa" Ferguson]], her husband.
The [[economy of Texas|Texas economy]] had been in a slump since the mid-1980s, compounded by a downturn in the U.S. economy. Richards responded with a program of economic revitalization, yielding growth in 1991 of 2 percent when the [[economy of the United States|U.S. economy]] as a whole shrank. 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.
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Ann Richards speaking to a crowd.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Ann Richards as an orator]] -->
As governor, Richards reformed the Texas [[List of Texas state prisons|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 firearm]]s and "cop-killer" bullets in the state.
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.
She appointed then [[Texas House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Lena Guerrero]] of Austin to a vacancy on the [[Texas Railroad Commission]]. The [[Hispanic]] Guerrero (1957-2008) was the first non-[[Anglo]] to serve on the commission in history. 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.
[[Image:Ann-Richards-STS-40-JSC-visit-1992.jpg|thumb|155px|right| Governor Ann Richards visiting [[NASA]]/[[Johnson Space Center|JSC]] in 1992]]
The [[Lotteries in the United States|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, Texas|Oak Hill]] near Austin.
<ref>Texas State Library & Archives Commission,
"Prints and Photographs Collection - Ann Richards" (first Lottery ticket),
www.tsl.state.tx.us, 2005-11-02, web:
[http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/governors/modern/richards-p05.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/governors/modern/richards-p05.html&h=526&w=518&sz=89&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=Lloyf4n9P7epbM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522Ann%2BRichards%2522%2Blottery%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff TxUS-Riachards-Lottery]:
Governor Ann Richards bought the first [[scratchcard|scratch-off]] lottery ticket at
Polk's Feed Store in Oak Hill, Texas, on [[May 29]], [[1992]]. Sales of [[Lotto Texas]]'
computer-picked random number tickets began six months later.
</ref>
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. 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.<ref>[http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/html/part/features/0400_01/slide2.html Texas Major Party Gubernatorial Candidates' Total General Election Expenditures, 1978-2002]</ref> 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."<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/candidates/can_bush-baseball.html Baseball Owner to Governor]</ref> 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.<ref>[[Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential]]</ref> Other people{{Who|date=March 2008}} 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.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Bush would thereafter sign a concealed-gun law, which was pushed by a future Republican lawmaker, state Representative [[Suzanna Hupp]] of the [[Killeen, Texas|Killeen]]-based district. Another factor may{{Fact|date=March 2008}} 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 [http://www.verner.com Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand], a [[Washington, D.C.]]-based international law firm. Richards sat on the boards of the [[Aspen Institute]], [[J.C. Penney]], and T.I.G. Holdings.
One of her daughters, [[Cecile Richards]], also a liberal activist, became president of [[Planned Parenthood]] in 2006. Ann Richards demonstrated interest in social causes such as [[social equality|equality]], [[abortion]], [[gay rights]] and [[women's rights]].
She was a tireless campaigner for Democratic candidates throughout the United States. In the [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Richards endorsed [[Howard Dean]] for the Democratic nomination, and campaigned on his behalf. Richards later stumped for Democratic nominee [[John Kerry]], 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 for her part said she was "not interested" in any degree of a political comeback.
== Teaching ==
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:ImNotSlowingDown.gif|frame|right| Book since osteoporosis (written in 2004)]] -->
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. 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.
She was diagnosed with [[osteoporosis]] in 1996, having lost 3/4 inch in height and broken her hand and ankle. 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.
In a review of ''I'm Not Slowing Down'' by Steve Labinski,
<ref name="SLab">
Book Review - Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis by Ann Richards"
(formal review), Steve Labinski, webpage:
[http://texana.texascooking.com/books/osteoporosisannrichards.htm Texana-Texas-AR].
</ref>
the book was described 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 [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]];<ref name=SLab/>
* 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.<ref name=SLab/>
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.<ref name=SLab/>
In the fall of 2005, Ann Richards taught a class called "Women and Leadership" at the [[University of Texas-Austin|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. 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.
<ref name=LinderARfilm>
Sarah Linder, "Richards was a Friend of Texas film" (filmmaking),
''"Austin American Statesman"'', [[Austin, Texas]], 2006-09-14, web:
[http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/austinmovies/index.html AR].
</ref> She was involved with the [[Texas Film Hall of Fame]] from the beginning. At the first ceremony, she inducted [[Liz Smith (journalist)|Liz Smith]]. She was [[emcee]] every subsequent year but had to cancel at the last minute in 2006 because of her diagnosis with cancer.
[[Image:AnnRichards 20050210.jpg|thumb|140px|right| 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. 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:
*"I came to know Ann first as a moviegoer. I’d walk into various movie theaters and see the white hair up above the stadium seating. That’s how you’d know she was there. People do all kinds of things to get noticed in politics, but Ann wasn’t there for anyone but Ann. She was someone who loved the movies, loved the tactile experience of being in the movie theater, loved talking about movies, loved meeting filmmakers — I think she was more excited to meet filmmakers than foreign dignitaries. At the ''Texas Film Hall of Fame'', she was as much as celebrity at that event as anyone honored. People paid money to see her as much as anyone else there. She would often ride down to Austin on the New York plane with the celebrities being honored. One year it was with [[Ethan Hawke]]. All she wanted to talk about, at the pre-party, was that “Ethan Hawke is so cute.” She loved him. This was not something that could be faked. She was starstruck. She loved these guys … (Watching a clip from [[Terrence Malick]]’s “''Days of Heaven''” at a Hall of Fame ceremony), she is mesmerized by this image. I mean, her eyes are glued to that screen. Again this is not something that you can fake. And she looked at me and she said “I love the movies” with this childklike voice, this passion. Standing next to me at that moment was not the former governor, a political swordsman... she was like all the rest of us, just someone who loved the movies. It’s a terrible loss for Texas in so many ways, but for the cultural community to have an advocate in that position, you don’t have that but once a generation, if you’re lucky." — Evan Smith<ref name=LinderARfilm/>
Ann Richards also lent her trademark voice and command of language to the screen. She narrated the popular and humorous documentary film [http://www.bbqfilm.com "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story"] for young Austin director [[Chris Elley]], going as far as holding a big BBQ rib in front of her face for publicity photos. 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 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299172/ "Home on the Range"] and the Fox TV series [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0620228/ "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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=King |title=Point Austin: Austin Girl |publisher=Austin Chronicle |date=2006-09-22 |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:404295 }}</ref> 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.
== 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. 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]]. She received treatment at [[The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center]] in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] [http://www2.mdanderson.org/depts/oncolog/articles/07/1-jan/1-07-2.html]. She died from the esophageal cancer on [[September 13]], [[2006]], at night in her home in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], surrounded by her family.
<ref>
[[Associated Press|AP]], "Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, 73, dies" (''CNN.com''), 2006-09-13, web:
[http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/13/richards.obit.ap/index.html CNN-AR-obit]:
on death at home, with family.
</ref>
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 [[NAACP|Texas NAACP Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Rights]], the [[National Wildlife Federation|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. 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.
On November 16, 2006, The City of Austin changed the official name of Congress Avenue Bridge to "[[Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge]]."
== Memorial services ==
[[Image:Texas state capitol 1.jpg|thumb|150px|right| The Capitol Rotunda in [[Austin, Texas]]<ref>The casket of Ann Richards was carried into the Capitol Rotunda ([[Austin, Texas]]) on September 16, 2006 at 8:15 a.m.</ref>]]
[[Image:Close up yellow rose.jpg|thumb|150px|right| In the Texas Capitol Rotunda, many yellow roses were left in memory of Ann Richards.<ref>
"Richards threw herself into treatment, ignoring the odds" (Friday), 2006-09-15,
''Austin American-Statesman'', Austin, Texas, web:
[http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/15/15ann.html?imw=Y AAS-AR-odds].
</ref>]]
Three services<ref>
[[KVUE-TV]], "Richards services finalized", ''News for [[Austin, Texas]]: KVUE.com'',
September 15, 2006, web: [http://www.kvue.com/ KVUE-Richards].
</ref>
for Ann Richards were held:
* A short service occurred on Saturday, [[September 16]], [[2006]], in Austin, Texas, when former [[Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton]] gave a [[eulogy]] after the casket of Ann Richards was carried into the Texas Capitol Rotunda, to lie in state for two days: with visits from 9:30-8 p.m. on Saturday and 9-8 p.m. on Sunday (September 17).
* A full memorial service<ref name=KvueARfarewell>
"Texas says farewell to Ann Richards" (services), Associated Press, 2006-09-18,
''kvue.com'', webpage:
[http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/091806kvuerichards3-eh.213ccb22 KVUE-ARichards3].
</ref> occurred on Monday, September 18, 2006, from noon-1:30 p.m., in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the [[University of Texas-Austin]] campus, with [[Ron Kirk]], [[Liz Smith (journalist)|Liz Smith]], [[Henry Cisneros]], [[New York]] [[United States Senate|Senator]] and former [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Hillary Clinton]], and her granddaughter Lily Adams speaking. The event included a video tribute to Ann Richards, and the music included [[blues]], [[jazz]], processional, gospel choir, and operatic [[aria]]s.
: Recorded blues and jazz songs were played for hours, including [[Lyle Lovett]] and [[Willie Nelson]]'s "[[Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain]]," <ref name=KvueARfarewell/> as the 3,800 attendees arrived. 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 (Austin, Texas)|Wesley United Methodist Church]] Intergenerational Choir. Operatic soprano [[Jessye Norman]] sang a rare version of ''Ave Maria'' and, later, other inspirational music.
: 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<ref name=KvueARfarewell/> to Ann Richards included old photographs and recent video clips, introduced by the song "[[Don't Fence Me In (song)|Don't Fence Me In]]" sung by [[Willie Nelson]]. The scenes showed Ann Richards as a young [[Travis County, Texas|Travis County]] commissioner and later as state treasurer and governor. One of the photographs showed Ann Richards holding the t-shirt labelled "A Woman's Place is in the Dome" (Texas Capitol Dome).
* A private burial service occurred early on Monday, [[September 18]], [[2006]], at the [[Texas State Cemetery]], attended by about 500 people, including family and close friends; singer [[Nanci Griffith]] performed "Across the Great Divide", and actress [[Lily Tomlin]] attended.<ref name=KvueARfarewell/> The body of Ann Richards was laid to rest near the graves of several other Texas governors.
At noon on Monday, [[September 18]], [[2006]], all across Texas, church bells were rung in memory of Ann Richards.
== Popular culture ==
In 2001, Governor Richards guest starred in a fifth season episode of the Texas-based animated TV series ''[[King of the Hill]]''. In the episode entitled "[[Hank and the Great Glass Elevator]]", she gets mooned and then enters into a brief relationship with [[Bill Dauterive]].
'''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. 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.
<ref>
Jill Cozzi, "Bush's Brain" (film review), ''Mixed Reviews'', 2004, web:
[http://www.mixedreviews.net/maindishes/2004/bushsbrain/bushsbrain.shtml MixedReviews-BB].
</ref>
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 [[commutation of sentence|commute]] [[capital punishment in Texas|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 §141.1)). 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]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Among other death penalty cases, those executed while Richards was Governor were [[Johnny Frank Garrett]]<ref>[http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engAMR510101998]</ref>, a man whom Amnesty cited as being "extremely mentally impaired, chronically psychotic and brain-damaged." 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 ==
{{reflist}}
==References==
<div class="references-small">
* Ann Richards, Richard U. Levine, M.D., ''I'm Not Slowing Down; Winning My Battle With Osteroporsis'', publisher: Plume, July 27, 2004, Paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 0-452-28412-0.
* Ann Richards, Richard U. Levine, M.D., ''I'm Not Slowing Down; Winning My Battle With Osteroporsis'', publisher: [[E.P. Dutton]], August 7, 2003, Hardcover, 256 pages, ISBN 0-525-94691-8.
* Ann Richards, Peter Knobler, ''Straight from the Heart: My Life in Politics and Other Places'', publisher: [[Simon and Schuster|Simon & Schuster]], [[New York]], 1989, Hardcover, 256 pages, illustrated with 14 black & white photographs, ISBN 0-671-68073-0.
</div>
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/governors/modern/page3.html#Richards Texas State Library: Governors of Texas]
*[http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm Ann Richards' 1988 Democratic Convention Keynote Address]
*[http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/csj/950605/richards.html 1995 Commencement speech, Mount Holyoke College]
*[http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Fiscal_Size-up/Fiscal_Size-up_2002-2003_0102.pdf 2002-2003 Fiscal Size-up] by the Texas Legislative Budget Board
*[http://www.voice.neu.edu/980622/citations/richards.html Biography of Ann Richards from Northeastern University]
*{{imdb name|id=0723955|name=Ann Richards}}
*[http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060915_molly_ivins_remembering_ann_richards/ Remembering Ann Richards] by Molly Ivins
*{{Find A Grave|id=15724992}}
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{{succession box
| before=[[Bill Clements]]
| title=[[List of Governors of Texas|Governor of Texas]]
| after=[[George W. Bush]]
| years=1991–1995}}
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{{TXGovernors}}
{{lifetime|1933|2006|Richards, Ann}}
[[Category:Governors of Texas]]
[[Category:People from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Waco, Texas]]
[[Category:Throat cancer deaths]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:State treasurers of Texas]]
[[Category:Baylor University alumni]]
[[Category:Texas Democrats]]
[[Category:American women state governors]]
[[Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics]]
[[Category:Texas State Cemetery burials]]
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