Idanell Brill Connally (February 24, 1919 – September 1, 2006) was the
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
from 1963 to 1969. She was the wife of
John Connally, who served as
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
and later as
Secretary of the Treasury.
She and her husband were passengers in the
Presidential limousine carrying
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
when he was
assassinated
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
on November 22, 1963.
Early life
Connally was born Idanell Brill in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, the eldest of five children of Kathleen Annie (née Inks) and Arno W. Brill.
She attended 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 ...
where she was named "Sweetheart of the University" in 1938. Connally initially had aspirations to become an actress but gave up those plans after meeting her future husband,
John Connally, while attending UT in 1937. The two married in 1940.
[
]
First Lady of Texas
John Connally began his career in politics working for then-Congressman (and future United States President) Lyndon B. Johnson. John Connally was elected Governor of Texas in 1962. He was subsequently re-elected for two additional terms.
During her tenure as First Lady, Connally created the gardens at 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 ...
and also collected the state silver.
Kennedy assassination
On November 22, 1963, Connally and her husband were riding in the presidential limousine that carried United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
when he was assassinated
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
in Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. While riding in the car with President Kennedy, Connally told President Kennedy, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you," which President Kennedy acknowledged by saying "No, you certainly can't." Within a few seconds, she heard the first of what she later concluded were three gunshots in quick succession.
The President and Governor Connally were shot, resulting in fatal wounds to the President and serious ones to the Governor. Nellie Connally got down in the car to take care of her husband, who had slumped after the second shot. "I never looked back again. I was just trying to take care of him," she said. Connally had said the most enduring image she had of the assassination in Dallas was of a mixture of blood and roses. "It's the image of yellow roses and red roses and blood all over the car ... all over us", she said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. "I'll never forget it. ... It was so quick and so short, so potent."[
In her 2003 book ''From Love Field—Our Final Hours with John F. Kennedy'', Connally shared her personal diary of the event written in the days immediately after the assassination.][ In her book, she said that she believed that her husband was hit by a bullet that was separate from the two that had hit Kennedy.
]
Later years
Advocacy and charity work
After serving as Texas's First Lady, Connally worked to raise money for several charities including the Children's Miracle Network Telethon for Hermann Children's Hospital. She served on the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors from 1984, and a fund in her name raised millions for research and patient programs.Texas Medical Center News
Tmc.edu. Retrieved on 2013-07-15. She was later named Woman of Distinction by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Connally was also a member of the Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas.
The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic La ...
and helped to complete Tranquility Park
Tranquillity (also spelled tranquility) is the quality or state of being tranquil; that is, calm, serene, and worry-free. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism, where the term '' passaddhi'' ...
located in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.[
In 1988, Connally was diagnosed with ]breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
.[ She was treated and went into remission. The following year, ]Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, and Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...
turned out for a gala to honor her and raise money for diabetes research.[ In 1998, ten years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Connally celebrated her birthday with fellow breast cancer survivors at a ceremony in the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at Anderson Hospital in Houston.][
]
Bankruptcy
Private business ventures after 1980 were less successful than John Connally's career as a politician and dealmaking Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
lawyer. An oil company in which he invested encountered trouble, and $200 million of real-estate projects failed. He filed for reorganization of his personal finances under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
code and for liquidation
Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...
, under Chapter 7 Chapter 7 may refer to:
Albums
* ''Chapter Seven'' (album), a 2013 album by Damien Leith.
*''Chapter VII'', a 1973 album by drummer Buddy Miles
George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drum ...
, of the Barnes–Connally Partnership, the Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
-based real-estate venture that he founded with former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes. The auction paid only a fraction of the $93 million in debts that Connally listed with the bankruptcy court in Austin.[
]
Personal life
John Connally and Nellie were married at the First United Methodist Church in Austin on December 21, 1940. They had four children: Kathleen, John B. Connally III, Sharon, and Mark Madison. In 1959, Robert Allen Hale was cleared by a coroner's jury in Florida of responsibility related to the April 1959 shooting death of Connally's teenaged daughter (Kathleen Connally Hale). Robert Hale and Kathleen Connally Hale had been married 44 days at the time of her death. The Connallys remained married until John's death from pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
in 1993.[
]
Death
On September 1, 2006, Connally died in her sleep at the age of 87. At the time of her death, she was living at Westminster Manor, an assisted living facility in Austin where she had lived for approximately one year.[ She is buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.][
]
References
External links
Nellie Connally donates handwritten notes of the Kennedy assassination to the LBJ Library and Museum
Delta Delta Delta Distinguished Alumnae profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connally, Nellie
1919 births
2006 deaths
20th-century American people
21st-century American people
20th-century American women
21st-century American women
American philanthropists
Burials at Texas State Cemetery
First Ladies and Gentlemen of Texas
People from Austin, Texas
People from Houston
University of Texas at Austin alumni
Witnesses to the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Texas Democrats