Miriam A. Ferguson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miriam Ferguson
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| 29th and 32nd Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1935 |
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| Lieutenant | Edgar E. Witt |
| Preceded by | Ross S. Sterling |
| Succeeded by | James Burr V Allred |
| In office January 20, 1925 – January 18, 1927 |
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| Lieutenant | Barry Miller |
| Preceded by | Pat Morris Neff |
| Succeeded by | Dan Moody |
| First Lady of Texas | |
| In role January 19, 1915 – August 25, 1917 |
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| Governor | James E. Ferguson |
| Preceded by | Alice Murrell Colquitt |
| Succeeded by | Willie Cooper Hobby |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Miriam Amanda Wallace
June 13, 1875 Bell County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 1961 (aged 86) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
James E. Ferguson
(m. 1899; died 1944) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Salado College University of Mary Hardin-Baylor |
Miriam Amanda "Ma" Ferguson (born Wallace; June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician. She served two terms as the governor of Texas. Her first term was from 1925 to 1927. Her second term was from 1933 to 1935.
Miriam Ferguson was the first female governor of Texas. She was also the second woman to be a governor in any U.S. state. The first was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming.
Contents
Early Life and Family
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Miriam Amanda Wallace was born in Bell County, Texas. She went to Salado College and Baylor Female College. When she was 24, she married James Edward Ferguson. He was a lawyer. They got married at her father's farm near Belton.
Her nickname, "Ma," came from her initials, M. A. Her husband was known as "Pa" Ferguson. They had two daughters: Ouida Wallace Ferguson and Dorrace Watt Ferguson.
Political Beginnings
Miriam's husband, James Ferguson, was the Governor of Texas from 1915 to 1917. During his second term, he faced an investigation. The Texas State Senate removed him from office. They also stopped him from holding state office in Texas again.
First Term as Governor (1925-1927)
After her husband could no longer hold office, Ma Ferguson decided to run for governor. She won the Democratic nomination. Her husband openly supported her. She told voters she would ask him for advice.
During her campaign, she promised "two governors for the price of one." Her husband often spoke at her rallies. A popular campaign saying was, "Me for Ma, and I Ain't Got a Durned Thing Against Pa." Many people believed that Ma Ferguson was truly in charge.
In the 1924 election, Ferguson won against George C. Butte. He was a well-known lawyer and dean at the University of Texas. Many voters, including women, supported Butte. But Texas was mostly a Democratic state. Ferguson won with 422,563 votes.
In 1924, Ma Ferguson became the first elected female governor of Texas. She was the second female state governor in the United States. Nellie Tayloe Ross became governor of Wyoming just two weeks before Ferguson. Both women won their elections on the same day.
In 1926, Dan Moody ran against her. He had investigated her husband before. Moody defeated her and became the next governor. Many women who supported women's rights helped Moody's campaign.
Second Term as Governor (1933-1935)
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Ferguson ran for governor again in 1932. She won the Democratic nomination. She then defeated Republican Orville Bullington in the general election. This was a good year for Democrats. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States.
Ferguson's second term was less debated than her first. There were rumors about state highway contracts. A committee looked into these rumors, but no charges were made.
During this time, the Great Depression was happening. Governments had to cut spending. The Texas Rangers faced big cuts. Their numbers were reduced. This made it harder to fight crime. Gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde found Texas a safer place to hide.
The state's law enforcement needed a big change. A consulting firm suggested combining the Rangers with the Texas Highway Patrol. This would create a new agency. This new agency would be called the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The Legislature agreed. The DPS started in 1935 under the next governor, James V. Allred.
In October 1933, Governor Ferguson signed a law. This law helped the University of Houston become a four-year college.
Views and Policies
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The Fergusons' style of politics was called "Fergusonism." It is still a debated topic in Texas history. As governor, Miriam Ferguson worked on important issues. She supported the "wets" in the debate over prohibition. This was about whether alcohol should be illegal.
Ferguson was known for being careful with state money. But she also supported a state sales tax. She also wanted a tax on company earnings.
She is sometimes linked to a famous quote about language in schools. The quote is, "If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it ought to be good enough for the children of Texas." However, this saying was used before her time. She did not create it.
Ferguson issued almost 4,000 pardons during her terms. Many of these were for people who broke prohibition laws. Later, voters changed the state constitution. They took away the governor's power to issue pardons. This power was given to a new, independent board.
After Being Governor
After 1935, the Fergusons mostly stayed out of politics. Miriam Ferguson tried to run for governor again in 1940, but she was not successful.
Her husband, James, passed away in 1944. Miriam Ferguson died in 1961 at 86 years old. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
See also
In Spanish: Miriam A. Ferguson para niños
