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Mildred Paxton Moody (April 20, 1897 – March 1, 1983) was the wife of Texas Governor Dan Moody. Upon her recommendation the Forty-second Texas Legislature established the Board of Mansion Supervisors in 1931, with Mrs. Moody as the first head of the Board. Until its abolishment in 1965, the Board oversaw all interior and exterior upkeep and enhancements to the
Mildred Paxton Moody (April 20, 1897 – March 1, 1983) was the wife of Texas Governor Dan Moody. Upon her recommendation the Forty-second Texas Legislature established the Board of Mansion Supervisors in 1931, with Mrs. Moody as the first head of the Board. Until its abolishment in 1965, the Board oversaw all interior and exterior upkeep and enhancements to the Texas Governor's Mansion
The Texas Governor's Mansion is a historic home for the governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas. Designed by prominent architect Abner Cook, it was built in 1854 and has been the home of every governor since 1856. Governor Greg Abbott and F ...
.
Early life
She was born Mildred Paxton inAbilene, Texas
Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...
on April 20, 1897, to banker George Paxton and his wife Mathilde Warren Paxton. With a B.A. from Hardin-Simmons and an M.A. from the University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, she was the women's editor for the ''Abilene Reporter-News
''Abilene Reporter-News'' is a daily newspaper based in Abilene, Texas, United States. The newspaper started publishing as the weekly ''Abilene Reporter'', helmed by Charles Edwin Gilbert on June 17, 1881, just three months after Abilene was fo ...
'' while also teaching at Hardin-Simmons. Moody also received a degree from Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. During her enrollment at the University of Texas, Moody had been one of the editors at ''The Daily Texan
''The Daily Texan'' is the student newspaper of University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Austin. It is one of the largest college newspapers in the United States, with a daily circulation of roughly 12,000 during the fall and spri ...
'' student newspaper.McQueary (2003) p.129
First Lady of Texas
Her marriage to Texas politician Dan Moody was on April 20, 1926, on her 29th birthday. Months later on election night, her new husband defeated the sitting Governor Miriam Ferguson. The 73-year-old Governor's Mansion was in a state of neglect and disrepair when the Moodys moved in. Mrs. Moody appealed to the state Board of Control, and was granted monies to renovate the State Dining Room. For additional renovations and structural improvements, she received funding from her father. The lengthy process of bringing the mansion up to livable modern standards left her determined to convince the State of Texas to provide regular funding for the mansion's future. After her husband's term expired in 1931, she authored a perspective of her tenure as the First Lady of Texas for ''The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...
'', including her recommendation that an entity needed to be created to oversee the mansion's upkeep. When the Forty-second Texas Legislature created the Board of Mansion Supervisors shortly after her recommendation, Governor Ross Sterling appointed her to head the board.
Final years
Governor and Mrs. Moody spent their remaining years in Austin. The couple had two children, Daniel Jr. and Nancy. Dan Moody died in 1966 and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery. Mildred outlived him by 17 years, dying in 1983. She is buried next to him.Notes
References
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moody, Mildred 1897 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians Burials at Texas State Cemetery First Ladies and Gentlemen of Texas History of women in Texas People from Abilene, Texas University of Texas at Austin alumni