Miriam “Ma” Ferguson

Description

Miriam “Ma” Ferguson First Woman Governor of Texas

By Judy Alter
Illustrator Patrick Messsersmith

Miriam Ferguson was a quiet, private person who preferred to stay home in her big house in Temple, Texas, and take care of her husband, raise her two daughters, and tend to her flower garden.

But in 1924 she was elected governor of Texas, the first woman governor elected in the United States.

Her husband, Jim Ferguson, served two terms as governor, but during his second term he was impeached, which meant he could not run again for public office. So Miriam agreed to run to clear his name and restore the family’s honor.

She served two terms as governor: from 1925 to 1927 and from 1933 to 1935. She and her husband became known as “Ma” and “Pa” Ferguson. Her campaign slogan was, “Two Governors for the Price of One.”