SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 451
WHEREAS, The observance of Texas Women Judges' Day at the
State Capitol on April 24, 2023, provides a welcome
opportunity to recognize women judges for their invaluable
work to advance the administration of justice and the rule of
law in our state; and
WHEREAS, Women judges in Texas have a storied history
dating back to 1925, when Hortense Sparks Ward, the first woman
to pass the Texas bar exam, along with Hattie Leah Henenberg and
Ruth Virginia Brazzil formed the first all-women high court in
the United States; the three women were appointed by Governor Pat
Neff to serve as special justices on a Texas Supreme Court case
from which all of the existing judges on the court had recused
themselves; and
WHEREAS, In 1935, Sarah Tilghman Hughes became the first
woman to hold a permanent position on a Texas bench; she went on
to make history again in 1961 as the first woman appointed to a
federal district judgeship in Texas, and she remains the only
woman ever to administer the oath of office to an American
president, having sworn in Lyndon Baines Johnson aboard Air Force
One on November 22, 1963; and
WHEREAS, Among other notable trailblazers who have
contributed to the diversity of the Texas judiciary are Harriet
Mitchell Murphy, the first African American woman appointed to a
regular judgeship in Texas, Elma Salinas Ender, the first Latina
state district judge in Texas, and Wendy Duong, the first
Vietnamese American woman to serve as a judge in the state; in
2005, the Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals in San Antonio
became the first appellate court in the U.S. composed entirely of
women, and in 2021, the court again had the distinction of being
the only all-women and now majority-Latina appellate court in the
country; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Texas Supreme Court includes three
female justices, Jane Bland, Rebecca Aizpuru Huddle, and Debra
Lehrmann, while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals includes four
women, Presiding Judge Sharon Keller and Judges Barbara Hervey,
Mary Lou Keel, and Michelle Slaughter; women currently represent
34 percent of judges in all courts throughout Texas, as well as 43
percent of all state and district judges; and
WHEREAS, Women judges have brought inspiring dedication,
wisdom, and integrity to the bench, helping to make our judicial
system fairer and more just for all Texans, and it is indeed
fitting that a special day be set aside to honor their
immeasurable contributions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby recognize April 24, 2023, as Texas Women
Judges' Day at the State Capitol and commend the women judges
of the State of Texas for their service and commitment to equal
justice under the law.
Zaffirini
Alvarado Hinojosa Menéndez Alvarado Hinojosa Menéndez
Alvarado Hinojosa Menéndez
Birdwell Huffman Middleton Birdwell Huffman Middleton
Birdwell Huffman Middleton
Campbell Hughes Parker Campbell Hughes Parker
Campbell Hughes Parker
Creighton Johnson Paxton Creighton Johnson Paxton
Creighton Johnson Paxton
Eckhardt Kolkhorst West Eckhardt Kolkhorst West
Eckhardt Kolkhorst West
Gutierrez LaMantia Whitmire Gutierrez LaMantia Whitmire
Gutierrez LaMantia Whitmire
Patrick, President of the Senate
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 24, 2023.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
Alvarado Hinojosa Menéndez
Birdwell Huffman Middleton
Campbell Hughes Parker
Creighton Johnson Paxton
Eckhardt Kolkhorst West
Gutierrez LaMantia Whitmire