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Annie Webb Blanton (1870-1945). Educated in the public schools of Houston and La Grange, Anne Webb Blanton began her teaching career in 1887 in the small Fayette County town of Pine Springs. In 1888 she moved to Austin, where she taught public school and attended the University of Texas. After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1899, Blanton became a member of the faculty at North Texas State Normal School in Denton. In 1916 she was elected the first woman president of the Texas State Teachers Association. Two years later she became the first woman elected to statewide office in Texas when she won the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. During her four years in office she was instrumental in the passage of much-needed progressive education legislation. Earning a master's degree in 1923 and a doctorate in 1927, Blanton became a full professor at the University of Texas in 1933./ She founded the Delta Kappa Gamma Society for women educators in 1929. Dr. Annie Webb Blanton died in 1945, leaving behind a legacy of professionalism and vision to inspire generations of Texas women. Elementary schools in Austin, Dallas and Odessa were named in her honor. She is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin. (1988) |
