Local News

Texas Honors Former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

DENTON (AP) ― Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and four other women were inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Louise Hopkins Underwood, of Lubbock; Elsa Murano, of College Station; Carolyn Peterson, of San Antonio and Huda Zoghbi, of Houston, were inducted along with O'Connor, who was born in El Paso and attended school there.

"The honorees have made tremendous strides in their respective fields and are an inspiration for future generations of Texas women," Gov. Rick Perry said in the ceremony honoring the five.

"Your lifetime of hard work, unwavering resolve and fearless efforts to positively influence your fields of work represent the state of Texas well," first lady Anita Perry told the inductees.

"When you're in the company of legends like Justice O'Connor, it's surreal," Murano, the first female and first Hispanic-American president of Texas A&M University, said in a story for Wednesday's Denton Record-Chronicle.

Murano was honored for her work in higher education. She served as undersecretary for food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2001.

Underwood was recognized for her contribution to the arts. She helped start the Texas Alliance for Education and the Arts and the Lubbock Cultural Arts Commission. She founded the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in 2007.

Peterson was recognized for her work in historical preservation, including work to restore and preserve the Alamo, the Strand Historic District in Galveston and county courthouses. She also was the lead architect in the restoration of the Texas State Capitol.

Zoghbi, a Baylor College of Medicine professor, was honored for her work in health research. She pioneered research of Rett Syndrome, a nerve developmental disorder that occurs in children.

O'Connor, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2006, was recognized for her leadership.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

---