Posted on 07/30/2008 9:53:27 AM PDT by lqcincinnatus
South Texas political legend Anne Legendre Armstrong, 80, died of cancer in a Houston hospice early this morning, her office has confirmed.
Armstrong, a former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain and sitting Kenedy County Commissioner, played a conquering role in Republican politics as a national leader of the party, serving as a cabinet-level adviser to Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and an adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush on foreign intelligence.
As news of her death spread among close friends and political associates Wednesday morning, Vice President Dick Cheney, a regular visitor to the Armstrong Ranch in Kenedy County, was first with a formal statement on her passing.
“The Vice President and Mrs. Cheney were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of their friend Anne Armstrong,” spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said. “She was a great lady who served the country with distinction. Their thoughts and prayers are with the Armstrong family.”
ANNE ARMSTRONG TIMELINE
1927– Born Dec. 27 in New Orleans.
1942– Met South Texas rancher Tobin Armstrong on a visit to the King Ranch.
1949– Graduated from Vassar College in New York.
1950– Married in April, moved to Armstrong Ranch in Kenedy County.
1952– Began volunteer precinct work with Republican Party in Raymondville.
1961– Named to state Republican executive committee.
1964 and 1968– State delegate to Republican National Convention; committeewoman from Texas in 1968.
1966– Named state Republican vice chairwoman.
1971– Elected co-chairwoman of Republican National Committee (first for a woman).
1972– Gave keynote speech at Republican National Convention (first by a woman).
1973– Named counselor to President Nixon, with full Cabinet status (first for a woman).
1975-77– U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain under President Ford (first for a woman).
1980– Co-chairwoman of Reagan-Bush national campaign.
1981– Named chairwoman of Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under Reagan, serving with Henry Kissinger, James Baker, others; continued until 1990.
1986– Inducted in the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame
1987– Received Presidential Medal of Freedom
1987– Named trustee of Center for Strategic and International Studies; served in various positions until her death.
1997– Appointed a regent of Texas A&M University System by Gov. George W. Bush; term expired in 2003.
2000– Awarded the Y Women in Careers Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corpus Christi YWCA.
2001– Appointed committee member on the Texas Task Force on Homeland Security
2005– Assumed post as Kenedy County Commissioner Precinct 3 following husband Tobin Armstrong’s death; served until her death.
RIP to both of them.
Here is a woman that could have executed the job of POTUS with style and intelligence. Major General John Borling, USAF (Ret) worked for her when he was a White House Fellow upon his return from 7 years as a POW in North Vietnam.
ABC radio news used the opportunity of the lady’s death to recall that Mr. Chaney shot a guy in the face on her property.
scumballs.
Rest in peace Anne Armstrong. An extraordinary life well lived.
bttt
I’m fairly certain we won’t care what’s said after we’re gone. But despite that, be a tad more uppity mmkay?
Unlike you, Anne had a great sense of humor. She was a great gardener. She would have admired my Rest In Peas comment and chuckled with admiration.
A Texas Treasure!
See, this is where we’re different.
I would have called them scumbags.
You need to get a little more diversity in your epithets. Make things up. Those dirty scamnaggers. Schmag’n Rafgabbles.
RIP.
Anne Armstrong > Ann Richards
I read in President Ford’s autobiography “A Time to Heal” that Ford seriously considered Armstrong as a possible running mate in 1976 (after VP Nelson Rockefeller withdrew from consideration). If Ford would have picked Armstrong she would have been the first woman on a major party Presidential ticket. However at the time Ford thought that Bob Dole was better at drawing conservative voters to the ticket, so Bob Dole was selected. But I agree she was a fine woman and a fine ambassador.
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