Mildred Paxton Moody facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mildred Paxton Moody
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| First Lady of Texas | |
| In role January 17, 1927 – January 20, 1931 |
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| Preceded by | James E. Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Maud Gage Sterling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 20, 1897 Abilene, Texas, US |
| Died | March 1, 1983 (aged 85) Austin, Texas, US |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Spouse | Daniel J. Moody Jr. |
| Education | B.A. Hardin-Simmons M.A. University of Texas Journalism degree Columbia University |
| Known for | First Lady of Texas (1927–1931) Preservation of the Texas Governor's Mansion |
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Mildred Paxton Moody (born April 20, 1897 – died March 1, 1983) was an important person in Texas history. She was the wife of Dan Moody, who served as the Governor of Texas. Mildred Moody is best known for her efforts to save and improve the Texas Governor's Mansion. She helped create a special group to make sure the mansion would always be well cared for.
Early Life and Education
Mildred Paxton was born in Abilene, Texas, on April 20, 1897. Her father, George Paxton, was a banker. Mildred loved learning and went to college. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University. She also received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Mildred was very interested in journalism. She even got a special degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York. While studying at the University of Texas, she worked as an editor for the student newspaper, The Daily Texan. Before becoming First Lady, she was the women's editor for the Abilene Reporter-News newspaper. She also taught at Hardin-Simmons University.
First Lady of Texas
Mildred Paxton married Dan Moody on April 20, 1926. This was also her 29th birthday! Just a few months later, her husband won the election to become the Governor of Texas. He defeated the current Governor, Miriam Ferguson.
When the Moodys moved into the Texas Governor's Mansion, it was very old and needed a lot of work. The mansion was 73 years old and had not been properly maintained. Mildred Moody was determined to fix it up. She asked the state government for money to renovate the State Dining Room. Her own father also gave her money to help with other repairs and improvements.
Making the mansion a nice place to live was a long process. Mildred wanted to make sure the state would always provide money to keep the mansion in good condition. After her husband's time as Governor ended in 1931, she wrote an article for The Dallas Morning News. In the article, she suggested that a special group should be created to look after the mansion.
Because of her idea, the state government created the Board of Mansion Supervisors. The new Governor, Ross Sterling, appointed Mildred Moody to lead this board. The board was in charge of all the repairs and improvements for the Governor's Mansion until it was ended in 1965.
Later Years
After their time in the Governor's Mansion, Governor and Mrs. Moody continued to live in Austin, Texas. They had two children, a son named Daniel Jr. and a daughter named Nancy.
Dan Moody passed away in 1966 and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery. Mildred lived for 17 more years after him. She died on March 1, 1983, and was buried next to her husband at the Texas State Cemetery.
