Prominent Texans
Women’s History Month
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison (1943- ) is an attorney, television correspondent, politician, diplomat, and served in the United States Senate for Texas from 1993 to 2013, making her the first woman elected to represent the state in the Senate.
In 1972, Hutchison was the first Republican woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives. During two terms there, Hutchison worked alongside Democrats to pass reform legislation improving the status of women. Two notable accomplishments are the Bailey-Weddington Law, which provided legal assistance to rape victims, and the Spousal IRA law which allowed homemakers to make the same deductible contributions to their IRA as salaried workers. Hutchinson later served as the 22nd United States Permanent Representative to NATO, from 2017 until 2021.
Emma Tenayuca
Emma Tenayuca (1916-1999) was a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist who gained prominence for her leadership in the 1938 pecan shellers' strike. In her early twenties, she rallied thousands of Mexican-American women workers against low wages and poor working conditions in San Antonio's pecan-shelling industry. In addition, Tenayuca advocated for social justice causes, including improved education, healthcare, and housing for the Mexican-American community. Her contributions have solidified her as a significant figure in the history of the Mexican-American struggle for social and economic justice.
Juanita Craft
Juanita Jewel Shanks Craft (1902–1985) was a prominent African American civil rights activist, teacher, and politician from Texas. As a member of the NAACP, she played a vital role in the fight against segregation in Dallas, working to desegregate public facilities and schools. In 1965, she became the first African American woman to vote in Dallas County after the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Craft's contributions extended to her service on the Dallas City Council from 1975 to 1979. Throughout her life, she remained a dedicated advocate for civil rights, leaving a lasting impact on the history of the movement in Texas.