Virginia Elizabeth Duff

Full Name: Virginia Elizabeth Duff
Date of birth: August 26, 1920
Date of death: January 12, 2012

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information
Legislation

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Counties in District
H	52	Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963	57th	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis
H	52	Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961	56th	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis
H	52	Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959	55th	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis
H	52	Jan 11, 1955 - Jan 8, 1957	54th	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis
H	52	Jan 13, 1953 - Jan 11, 1955	53rd	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis
H	100-1	Jan 9, 1951 - Jan 13, 1953	52nd	Democrat	Ferris / Ellis	Ellis

Terms of Service top

House District 52
Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963
Legislatures: 57th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

House District 52
Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961
Legislatures: 56th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

House District 52
Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959
Legislatures: 55th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

House District 52
Jan 11, 1955 - Jan 8, 1957
Legislatures: 54th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

House District 52
Jan 13, 1953 - Jan 11, 1955
Legislatures: 53rd
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

House District 100-1
Jan 9, 1951 - Jan 13, 1953
Legislatures: 52nd
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Ferris / Ellis
Counties in district: Ellis

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Biographical Sketches

Photo and biographical sketch, pp. 125-129. First woman to succeed a woman from the same district (Rae Files Still) in the Texas House. Relatives: Hans Smith - grandfather, Virginia Duff - granddaughter; Bowd Farrar - uncle, Virginia Duff - niece. Capitol Women: Texas Female Legislators, 1923-1999, 2000.
Duff, Virginia Elizabeth. Texas State Cemetery.

Other Resources

"Remembering a Texas Trailblazer" lists some of Virginia Duff's major legislative initiatives, including bills requiring vehicles to stop while school buses load or unload, and creating the State School for Children in Denton. Mentions Duff's great uncle, Bowd Farrar. Dallas Morning News.
Notice of death, 1/13/2012. Speaker of the House.
Mentioned in Curtis Bishop, "Historic Names in the 54th: Descendants of many who made early Texas history carry on family traditions of service to their State as members of the 54th Legislature," Volume XVI, Number 1, June 1955, pp. 37, 38, 40. Texas Parade.

Photographs

Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 57th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 56th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 56th Legislature, Texas Yearbook, 56th Legislature
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 55th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 54th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 53rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Miss Virginia Duff, 52nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Virginia Elizabeth Duff, Texas State Cemetery
Photograph. Henry Fletcher, Virginia Duff and Ethelene Fletcher, Speaker's Day 2009. Photo courtesy of Brenda McKean, Donated Material

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

52nd session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
53rd session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
54th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
55th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
56th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
57th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

57th R.S. - 1961 Aeronautics Appropriations Common Carriers Criminal Jurisprudence Public Lands and Buildings Special Districts
56th R.S. - 1959 Appropriations Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments and Agencies Claims and Accounts Criminal Jurisprudence Local Water Districts (Chair) Municipal and Private Corporations State Hospitals and Special Schools
55th R.S. - 1957 Criminal Jurisprudence Interstate Cooperation Public Health Public Lands and Buildings State Hospitals and Special Schools (Vice Chair)
54th R.S. - 1955 Criminal Jurisprudence Enrolled Bills Penitentiaries (Chair) Segregation in Public Schools, Advisory State Affairs State Hospitals and Special Schools Veterans' Land Program, Investigation, Special
53rd R.S. - 1953 Agriculture Criminal Jurisprudence Privileges, Suffrage and Elections Public Health State Hospitals and Special Schools (Chair)
52nd R.S. - 1951 Agriculture Counties Criminal Jurisprudence Local and Uncontested Bills State Hospitals and Special Schools

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