Women Who Shaped Our World

W O M E N W H O T H E W O R L D S H A P E D

Accomplished suffragette, educator, author and advocate.

President of the American General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

Wrote and published what was considered to be the standard textbook for teaching Texas history.

Courtesy of The General Federation of Woman’s Clubs.

Anna H ar (1880)

wic e Penny ac er

Anna Hardwicke Pennybacker attended Sam Houston Normal Institute and graduated in 1880 as part of its first class. She later gifted $5,000 to Sam Houston State Teachers College to establish a scholarship “for the cultivation in the student body of a love for the true and beautiful in life.”

Pennybacker did live a true and beautiful life. Following her time at SHNI, she continued her education in Europe, and taught grammar and high school for 14 years. In 1884, she married her SHNI classmate, Percy V. Pennybacker (who died in 1899); they had three children. In 1888, she wrote and published “A New History of Texas”. This textbook, known as “the Pennybacker text” was the standard for teaching Texas history for the next 40 years.

She began a career in advocacy when she founded one of the first Texas women’s clubs, the Tyler Woman’s Club in 1894. From 1901 to 1903 she led the Texas Federation of Women. She also held many positions with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, serving two terms as president, from 1911-1912 and 1912-1916. Under her administration, she was also responsible for the creation of many libraries in Texas, and the formation of travelling libraries and art collections which she funded.

From 1919 to 1920, Pennybacker worked as an associate member of the Democratic National Committee where she began a close and influential relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt. Their fourteen-year friendship was based on mutual interests in the advancement of women, world peace and the Democratic party.

She had such a prolific and diverse record of contributions, from Food Administration of Texas in World War I to acting as a special correspondent to the League of Nations (1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, and 1931). She was a frequent lecturer around the country and became the first woman in history to give the commencement address to the city of Houston’s combined high schools. Until her death in 1938, Pennybacker actively worked for the causes that she felt passionate about.

Anna Hardwicke Pennybacker was active throughout her entire life working with women’s clubs and lobbying for equal rights for women. She was also active in other Progressive Era causes and was a strong supporter of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Image courtesy of Sam Houston State University Archives.

M innie Lee M affett (1902)

As one of our nation’s early female doctors, Minnie Lee Maffett helped pave the way for women in medicine. Following her degree from Sam Houston Normal Institute, she served as principal at the State Orphan Home High School in Corsicana before graduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1914 as a physician and surgeon.

After an internship at the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, she returned to Texas in 1915 and established a practice as an abdominal surgeon in Dallas. She opened the health center at Southern Methodist University in 1915 and oversaw its growth to recognition by the American Medical Association.

Maffett served as the first president of the Texas Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs and later (’39–’44) became president of the national affiliate. She is known for leading the fight against state and federal laws that would have barred married women from the workforce and persuaded the US War Department to offer military commissions to female doctors serving in World War II.

At that time, she also served on the National Civilian Advisory Committee to the War Department, chairing the subcommittee that studied health and recreation in the Women’s Army Corps. By 1951, she was appointed to a panel by the State Department to study women’s clubs in West Germany. She served as an advisor for health workshops for the Pan Pacific and Southeast Asian Women’s Association in Japan and for the International Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs in South Africa.

However, her primary international interest was China where she was a member of the Chinese Relief Region and board of directors of the American Bureau for Medical Aid to China. Maffett rallied the National Federation to raise the money to build a training school and residence in Taiwan for Chinese nurses. The school would later become dedicated in her name.

Through her work in the federation, a fellowship named for Maffett was established in the 1950s to award grants to women for studies in medical science.

Started Southern Methodist University health center.

Fought for women’s rights in the workforce.

Dr. Minnie L. Maffett of Dallas, honorary and past national president of National Federation of Business and Professional Women, at Fort Worth’s Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stockshow, 02/05/1951

Photo courtesy Fort Worth Star Telgram Collection

S H A P E D S H S U

One of Texas’ leading women writers

Dallas Theatre Center

(1946) Courtesy of Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. Retrieved from https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery-beta/img/20062383

Jewel Henson Gi son

SHSU Archives (1932, 1950)

Nestled in the Piney Woods of Sam Houston State Teachers College while working on her degree, Jewel Gibson’s first novel was underway. With two sons in the military during World War II, she turned to writing as a way to ease her anxiety. After 15 years of work, the book, published by Random House as “Joshua Beene and God,” provided a comic portrayal of religious and political struggle in a small East Texas town.

Praised as outstanding satire by critics and declared wicked by more than one Texas community, readers in later years, however, found the book visionary. Gibson became well-known for her remarkable ability to capture the colorful sights, sounds and language of East Texas life. A critic once observed that “Jewel Gibson is a writer with two tongues, one for each cheek.”

Her popular first novel would later be adapted into a play and staged at the Dallas Theater Center and Houston’s Alley Theatre. Gibson even took to the Alley’s stage to play one of the roles.

In 1950, Gibson’s second published novel “Black Gold,” drew on her husband’s professional background in oilfield drilling to construct a story set in an early twentieth century East Texas boomtown. Her play, “Creep Past the Mountain Lion,” dealt with racial issues in East Texas, and was also presented at the Dallas Theater Center in 1966.

While writing for the Houston Chronicle, she taught at the University of Houston (’50-’55) and at SHSU (’60-’70). After retiring from teaching, she moved to Corsicana, where she worked as a feature writer for the Corsicana Daily Sun and remained active writing hundreds of profile and feature stories well into her eighties. In 1989, the city held a Jewel Gibson Literary Festival in her memory where short scenes from her many works were staged.

Ester Neveille Higgs Colson (1932)

First woman elected to both houses of the Texas Legislature.

Helped create the Texas farmto-market roads system.

SHSU Archives

As Neveille Colson completed her teaching certification in 1932, her husband, Nall, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. In Austin, Neveille served as her husband’s secretary and also worked for the secretary of state’s office and the Internal Revenue Service. Nall’s legislative career ended in 1937, and the couple subsequently divorced.

The next year, Colson ran successfully for the House district her former husband had served. In the House of Representatives, Colson promoted legislation to improve juvenile corrections, education and public roads. In 1946, she became the first woman to author a constitutional amendment approved by Texas citizens. The measure ensured that taxes collected from road users were dedicated specifically to road construction. Her reelection in 1946 made her the longest-serving female legislator in Texas history.

In 1948, she was elected to represent Senate District 5 in East Central Texas. During her 18 years in the Senate, from the 51st through the 59th Legislatures, she was the state’s only female senator and continued her efforts in support of public roads and schools. The Colson-Briscoe Act, co-written by her, allocated funding for a statewide system of farm-to-market roads. With additional federal money, the funding enabled the Texas Highway Department to nearly double the number of paved rural roads in the state. Colson also helped pass the Gilmer-Aiken Laws that consolidated school districts, provided state equalization funding, raised teacher salaries and based state funding on student attendance.

Senator Colson served on more than two dozen Senate committees and the Legislative Budget Board. She chaired six committees and served as vice-chair of the Senate Committees on finance, agricultural affairs and nominations, among others. In 1954, the state’s longest girder bridge, near Washington-on-the-Brazos, was named the Neveille H. Colson Bridge in her honor.

After leaving the legislature, Colson was briefly curator of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville before retiring in 1977.

Courtesy of The State Preservation Board, Austin, Texas.

The Houston Post, 1956

W O M E N W H O T H E W O R L D S H A P E D

A key figure in teaching and improving skills for students with disabilities.

Instrumental in acquiring grants and funds for research, with emphasis on the blind.

Virginia Murray S owell (1951)

Virginia Murray Sowell made a huge impact on education for students with disabilities across Texas and her journey began with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sam Houston State University in 1951.

Sowell’s career circled around serving the lone star state and began in education in the San Antonio Independent School District, where she created a new program for the visually impaired in 1955.

She attended summer school at the University of Minnesota and San Francisco State University to pursue studies in visual impairment and orientation and mobility, and after earning her Ph.D. in special education at the University of Texas, she accepted a position at Texas Tech University.

Sowell spent the remainder of her career, from 1976 to retirement, at Texas Tech. There she served as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, while continuing to push for better ways to educate children with special needs. Through her efforts, the university established a program to prepare teachers of special needs students.

The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Visual Impairment was created in January 1998 as a way to continue her work. To this day, the center continues to promote quality research addressing the academic and social needs of school-age students with sensory disabilities and provides public service to assist local, national and international constituencies.

“The success of our program is attributed in large measure to the innovative thinking, unyielding persistence, and futuristic vision of Dr. Virginia Sowell,” said Texas Tech officials in a statement upon the center opening.

A two-term President of the Board of Governors of the Texas School for the Blind, Sowell secured major funding for research, with a specific focus on helping the blind. Governor Ann Richards recognized Sowell’s efforts as well and appointed her to the Governor’s Continuing Committee for Special Education.

Glen

a Dawson (1963)

Glenda Dawson earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University in 1963. Following a career that lasted 34 years as a public school teacher, Dawson continued her lifelong passion of helping to raise the standard of Texas education when she was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002.

During her time in office Dawson was a member of the Public Education, Public Health, Higher Education and House Administration Committees and named “Outstanding Freshman Education Legislator” by the 78th Legislature.

Dawson is also known for her role in streamlining life-saving organ donations as the driving force behind the badges of honor now found on Texas driver licenses marking a voluntary organ donor. The Bearkat alumna helped to establish the DEAR Program, which created a statewide organ donation registry and organ donation education programs.

A kidney transplant recipient herself, Dawson was a passionate advocate for donation. To this day, the statewide donor registry is formally known as “The Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry.”

Following the passing of Dawson’s legislation in 2005, Texans were able to record legal consent for organ, eye and tissue donation after death. Thanks to cooperation from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles this could conveniently be completed by citizens when applying for or renewing a driver license, ID or vehicle registration.

In 2017 the organization marked its 10 millionth registration, making it the fastest growing donor registry in the country.

In 2006, Dawson died at the age of 65 while in her fourth year representing the 29th District. In a released statement, Texas Governor Rick Perry recognized her impressive career serving the public.

“I am saddened to hear of Glenda’s passing. Her entire professional career was dedicated to public service, whether as a teacher, community organizer or state representative,” Perry said.

Dawson’s legacy also lives on in Pearland. In 2007, Pearland ISD broke ground on a new high school. The Glenda Dawson High School Eagles are now celebrating their tenth graduating class.

Served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives.

Public school teacher for 34 years, Pearland ISD high school named in her honor.

W O M E N W H O T H E W O R L D S H A P E D

The first woman and person of color to hold the position of communications director and senior advisor to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Photo by Hector Emanuel for The New York Times

Ashley E tienne (2000)

Acreative, strategic, and bold thinker, and self-proclaimed “rebel with too many causes,” alumna Ashley Etienne is blazing a trail for women in government.

Etienne set the foundation for her future during her time at Sam Houston State University where she studied political science. Here, she was given the opportunity to advance her natural leadership abilities and develop her passion for service.

This earned her the respect of the Bearkat community and she was consistently recognized for her efforts and activism. While in school, she received the Sammy Award for outstanding sophomore leader and the McDermett Memorial Award for outstanding female senior. She also was the vice president for the Kappa Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Since graduating in 2000, Etienne has gone on to earn her master’s at Johns Hopkins University, serve as a trusted advisor to former President Barack Obama, consulted Fortune 500 executives, and launched national campaigns that leveraged top entertainers, professional athletes and civil rights icons.

Today, Etienne is the communications director and senior advisor to House Leader Nancy Pelosi and the first woman and person of color to hold the position. She works as Pelosi’s primary spokesperson and runs Cabinet press operations.

Etienne previously served as Pelosi’s deputy communications director from 2012-14 and returned to work under her after serving in the Obama White House as special assistant to the President, cabinet communications director and communications director from 2014-2017. She also served as communications director for House Democrats on the oversight and government reform committee, led by ranking member Elijah Cummings from 2011-2013.

Etienne has been profiled by all the major national and political newspapers, including the New York Times Magazine. She was named to Politico Playbook New Guard Power list, Essence Magazine’s 29 Powerful Black Women Running Obama’s White House, and Marie Claire’s New Guard List as “Obama’s bad-news fixer.”

S alli C lavelle (2015, 2016)

Salli Clavelle was instilled with a passion for football at a young age. Now, she is changing the game on her own turf.

Clavelle’s career took off at Sam Houston State University as she was working towards her bachelor’s and master’s in kinesiology and playing basketball. During this time, she was recognized as a campus leader, was nominated to serve on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and interacted daily with faculty that supported her career trajectory.

One person of note was Willie Fritz, the SHSU head football coach while Clavelle was an undergrad. Years later, when Fritz was hired as the head football coach at Tulane University in Clavelle’s hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, she reached out to him for an internship opportunity to complete her master’s program. He agreed, but only if she took the internship without compensation, and it paid off. After two months, she was promoted to the director of on-campus recruiting at Tulane and excelled in that role as well.

This role would ultimately serve as a prerequisite to her current position as a Pro Personnel Analyst with the San Farnciso 49ers, which she was promoted to in 2019, making her the only female to hold a full-time scouting position in the NFL.

Each day, Clavelle and the rest of the pro scouts are all tasked with watching film, writing reports, updating injuries, tagging free agents, and alerting trades. However, in addition to her normal duties, she has the added responsibility of being the face of the franchise for women who are aspiring to join the NFL ranks. So when the 49ers made playoffs and advanced to Super Bowl LIV during her first season, Clavelle made headlines overnight.

Through it all, Clavelle has remained humble. She relies on her mental toughness and high football IQ to make it through the long hours and demanding days. A successful first season solidified her reputation as a trailblazer. By refusing to give up and by fighting for a seat at the table, Clavelle continues to prove that women belong in the sports industry.

At 26 years old, is the NFL’s only female, full-time scout.