Vara Martin Daniel (1917-1987) was an American educator and First Lady of Guam.
Early life
On June 17, 1917, Daniel was born in
Hillsboro, Texas. Daniel's father was Will M. Martin, a politician. Daniel's mother was Daisy Beavers Martin. Daniel had two siblings, including
Crawford C. Martin.
Education
In 1938, Daniel earned a public school music degree and a minor in piano and English from
Texas State College for Women
Texas Woman's University (TWU) is a public coeducational university in Denton, Texas, with two health science center-focused campuses in Dallas and Houston. While TWU has been fully co-educational since 1994, it is the largest state-supported u ...
in
Denton, Texas.
Career
Daniel is a former music teacher. Daniel is a former music program director for the Liberty public schools in Texas.
In 1961, when
Bill Daniel was appointed by President
John F. Kennedy as the Governor of Guam, Daniel became the
First Lady of Guam
First Lady or First Gentleman of Guam is the title attributed to the spouse of the governor of Guam. The current first gentleman is Jeffrey Cook, husband of Governor Lou Leon Guerrero
Lourdes Aflague "Lou" Leon Guerrero (born November 8, 1950) ...
on May 20, 1961, until January 20, 1963.
In 1972, Daniel became the president of the Trivium Club, until 1973.
Personal life
Daniel's full name was Vara Faye Martin Daniel. Daniel's husband was
Bill Daniel, an attorney, politician, and
Governor of Guam
The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...
. They had four children, Will, Ann, Susan and Dani. Daniel and her family lived in Guam, and
Liberty, Texas.
On February 7, 1987, Daniel died from cancer in
Liberty, Texas.
Legacy
This is a list of places named in Daniel's legacy.
* Play park at M.D. Anderson Hospital.
* Vara Daniel Mammography Clinic at Liberty Baptist Hospital.
* Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center at the
Hill College Hill County Campus, located at 112 Lamar Dr. in
Hillsboro, Texas.
* The Vara Martin Daniel Plaza at
Baylor University in
Waco, Texas.
* The Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village at the Mayborn Museum Complex at
Baylor University in
Waco, Texas. Donated in 1984.
References
External links
plantationranch.netimage of Vera Daniel in 1961 at jfklibrary.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniel, Vara Martin
1917 births
1987 deaths
Guamanian women in politics
First Ladies and Gentlemen of Guam
People from Hillsboro, Texas
People from Liberty, Texas
Spouses of Texas politicians
Texas Woman's University alumni