| Transcript |
I moved (to New York) because I would
rather work than languish in Texas.
- Sissy Farenthold
II
Frances T. "Sissy" Farenthold
President, Wells College
You have asked me to push a decade back
—push it back in a personal way. To look
back from western New York where I
work and live now, to south Texas, to a
trek that began with the opening of the
decade in Corpus Christi. In January of
1970 I announced my candidacy for reelection to the Texas Legislature. My husband had asked me not to run for a second
term and I had responded that if I did not
run, I would be nothing more than a
dilettante.
I remember thinking as my second
term began in 1971 that I would be
spending my time principally on environmental matters. But that was not to be,
for soon the Sharpstown scandal began to
unfold and it was to be a focal point for
the 1971 season.
I remember very clearly, exactly where
my desk was in the House Chambers. I remember the wonderful days of camaraderie with Ed Harris and Nick Nichols who
sat directly in front of me, with Rex
Braun on my left, and nearby Curtis
Graves, whom we called Stokely, and behind me Charles Patterson, the youngest
member of the House, who insisted on
calling me 'The Countess." He was bright
and conscientious and willing to be more
outspoken than anyone I have ever
known.
We were all old hands from the session
before. In mid-session I remember the let-
ers I started receiving from people—handwritten and caring, caring about the state
and the kind of government it had. I
remember our hopes that reform would
come. We were by then called "The Dirty
Thirty."
Later, there was the dream of fielding
a ticket of statewide candidates that reflected Texas-with blacks, browns, and
women, as well as white men on it. And
then we came upon reality—the costliness
of statewide campaigns. After the 1971
session, one by one, our group decided
against a statewide race.
In February of 1972 I announced my
candidacy for governor. Five months of
unremitting effort. A campaign comprised of a wing and a prayer and people,
people everywhere, working and helping
in this nation-state of ours.
I remember my surprise on finding
people at the Democratic National Convention in July 1972 who had followed
that primary in Texas. I clearly remember
my hesitancy in having my name placed
in nomination for vice president. And
being firmly talked to by Larry Goodwin.
I remember that thought I had just be,-'
fore the balloting started, "Well, Sis, you
may not get a vote," and I remember the
strong and forceful lobbying of Mickey
Leland and Pancho Medrano with the
Texas delegation and others. The challenge for the vice-presidential nomination was based in equal measure on a woman being nominated and pushing for an
open convention on that nomination.
I remember February 1973 in Houston
and the insistence of Gloria [Steinem]
and Bella [Abzug] and Midge Miller that
I run for chair at the first convention of
the National Women's Political Caucus.
I remember the Texas Caucus filled with
friends from the primary, urging me not
to run for the harm that it would do me
politically in Texas.
1973 was really the beginning of a nomadic life for me, as I began to criss-cross
the country, speaking on college campuses, at YWCA's, at town halls, and in the
meeting rooms of a few churches and
synagogues. I remember seeing and listening and talking to women all over this
country as they struggled to organize, to
identify, and to cope and educate themselves. I searingly remember the Democratic primary contest of mine in 1974
against an incumbent governor, the campaign disarray of my efforts, the loyalty
that springs from incumbency.
In 1973 I started teaching a course at
Texas Southern University. I remember
the first thing I had to do after that primary in 1974 was to get my grades out
for my students at Texas Southern Law
School. I often thought that my students
taught me a great deal more than I taught
them. Later, I taught a course on sex-
based discrimination at the University of
Houston, a course I had to teach myself
first, since we had no such field of study
at UT in the 40's.
During 1974 and 1975 the nomadic
and seasonal work of lecturing continued
for me. On one of those trips in '75 I
spoke at Wells College in Aurora, New
York. It is an area of haunting beauty.
Soon thereafter, I was asked if I would
be interested in the presidency of the College. Yes, I agreed to accept. Usually,
when I was asked why I made the move I
would respond that I would rather work
than languish in Texas. And work it was—
a great deal of on-the-job training, to be
specific.
Soon after I came to Wells, Kingman
Brewster [president of Yale University]
remarked that I had left the overt world
of politics for the covert one of education. Indeed, it was that. But it was a
great deal more than politics. No longer
can my friend Ronnie Dugger [publisher
of The Texas Observer] question my lack
of administrative experience.
Soon it will be four years that I have
been here, and now that my time is coming to a close I am dwelling on various aspects of life here that I will miss. There is
that haunting and ever present natural
beauty. I will miss observing the extraordinary development of young women
in four years' time in this institution that
is committed to preparing them for the^
21st century. I will miss the friendship
of many Aurorians, both those in the
village and those in the college. Frankly,
I will miss both the authority and autonomy that has been part of my life here.
I am leaving behind the Texas flag that
has flown for years here on my office
building when I return home in June of
this new decade.
EA T RICE HA VE FAITH IN WOMEN
WHAT I DO NT KNOWNOW
I CAN STILL {EARN
IF I AM ALONE NOW
I WILL BE WITH THEM LATER
IF I AM WEAK NOW
I CAN BECOME STRONG
SLOWLY SLOWLY
"I have just read the most remarkable book about women, it is called The Fern-
nine Mystique and reminds me of an article I read about 'clicks,' the sudden
awareness women have about the way men treat them-it's overdue but I am
going to finish it anyway."
PAO'K, diary entry, January 18, 1970.
IF I LEARN I CAN TEACH OTHERS
IF OTHERS LEARN FIRST
I MUST BELIEVE
THEY WILL COME BACK AND TEACH ME
THEY WILL NOT GO AWA Y
TO THE COUNTRY WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE
AND SEND ME A LETTER SOMETIME
WE MUST STUDY ALL OUR LIVES
WOMEN COMING FROM WOMEN GOING TO WOMEN
"Dear Ellen, I am finally getting used to being in France and these wretched
French men and metros. I sometimes think (just between you and me) that my
parents see my M.A. as something nice to include in my wedding announcement
... I'm sure there could be worse uses for it... I'm lonely and want to be back in
the U.S.A."
PAO'K to EF, December 10, 1971, Paris, France.
TRYING TO DO ALL WE CAN WITH WORDS
THEN TRYING TO WORK WITH TOOLS
OR WITH OUR BODIES
TRYING TO STAND THE TIME IT TAKES
READING BOOKS WHEN THERE ARE NO TEACHERS
OR THEY ARE TOO FAR AWA Y
TEACHING OURSELVES
IMAGINING OTHERS STRUGGLING
"Some of the more militant 'women's libbers' in this class may take objection to
my use of the phrase 'the reasonable man test' but of course, as we all know, there
is no such thing as a reasonable woman."
Law school lecture, September 1972, Houston, Texas.
/ MUST BELIEVE WE WILL BE TOGETHER
AND BUILD ENOUGH CONCERN
SO WHEN I HA VE TO FIGHT ALONE
THERE WILL BE SISTERS WHO
WOULD HELP IF THEY KNEW
SISTERS WHO WILL COME
TO SUPPOR T ME LA TER
"Austin Women's Brigade, a women's collective which is concerned with aligning
itself with other Texas groups has just been organized. We invite all our Houston
sisters to join with us in organizing women's liberation groups. Our meetings are
every third Wednesday."
Second Coming Newsletter, April, 1973.
WOMEN DEMANDING LOYALTY
EACH WITH OUR NEEDS
OUR WHOLE LIVES TORN BY
THE OLD SOCIETY
NEVER GIVEN THE LOVE OR WORK
OR STRENGTH OR SAFETY OR INFORMATION
WE COULD USE
NEVER HELPED BY THE INSTITUTIONS
THAT IMPRISON US
SO WHEN WE NEED MEDICAL CARE
WE ARE BUTCHERED
WHEN WE NEED POLICE
WE ARE INSUL TED IGNORED
WHEN WE NEED PARENTS
WE FIND ROBOTS
TRAINED TO KEEP US IN OUR PLACES
WHEN WE NEED WORK WE ARE TOLD
TO BECOME PART OF
THE SYSTEM THA T DESTRO YS US
HOUSTON BREAKTHROUGH
12
DECEMBER/JANUARY 1980 |
