Betty Andujar
| Elizabeth Richards "Betty" Andujar | |
|---|---|
| Texas State Senator from District 12 (Tarrant County) | |
|
In office 1973–1983 |
|
| Preceded by | J. P. Word |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Parmer |
| Texas Senate President Pro Tempore | |
|
In office 1977–1977 |
|
| Preceded by | H. Tati Santiesteban |
| Succeeded by | Don Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 6, 1912 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Died | June 8, 1997 (aged 84) Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | John Jose Andujar (married 1935-1997, her death) |
| Residence | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Alma mater | Wilson College |
| Occupation | Homemaker |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Elizabeth Richards Andujar, known as Betty Andujar (November 6, 1912 – June 8, 1997), was a homemaker, civic activist, and politician, the first Republican woman to be elected and serve in the Texas State Senate. From 1973 to 1983, Andujar represented District 12 in Fort Worth, the seat of Tarrant County in North Texas.
She was the first Republican elected from Tarrant County to the state legislature since the Reconstruction era, signaling a change in alignment of Texas politics. At the turn of the century, the white Democrat-dominated legislature had disenfranchised most African Americans and Latinos. This weakened the Republican Party for decades; and the Democratic Party dominated. Since the late 20th century the Republican Party has revived in Texas, starting with appeal to white conservatives, who still comprise the majority of the party.
Elizabeth Richards was born in 1912 in the state capital of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Katharine L. Beetem and Karl E. Richards. Her father was an attorney, who worked as First Assistant to the county District Attorney. He became District Attorney in 1932, serving until 1937, when he was elected as Dauphin County's first Orphan's Court judge. He served as judge of this court until 1961. (According to information supplied by Andujar's family to the Texas State Cemetery, her father had served as the state's chief justice.) Elizabeth Richards attended local schools and received a bachelor's degree from the Wilson College, a Presbyterian women's institution, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, just north of the Maryland state line.
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