Conference

The culmination of our three-year project on Sissy Farenthold funded by the Creekmore and Adele Fath Charitable Foundation, the April 2015 conference considered from both an historical and contemporary perspective many of the issues to which Sissy dedicated her life. The conference was closely tied to the Frances T. “Sissy” Farenthold Papers at UT’s Briscoe Center for American History, which touch on many facets of her wide-ranging career, from her political campaigns to her important role in national and international women’s movements and in human rights advocacy around the world.

The conference began on Thursday afternoon with an interview of Sissy by The Texas Tribune‘s Evan Smith, the screening of original short films, and the launch of this online exhibition based on Sissy’s life and career.

The conference continued all day Friday with three panels that represented Sissy’s work at the state, national, and international levels, all centered around specific documents from her papers. Scholars, legislators, advocates, and journalists considered the documents through their respective lenses, using the historical materials to engage in contemporary discussion of the issues raised. Panels focused on reproductive rights and gay rights; peace, disarmament, and the international women’s movement; and Texas electoral politics and the vocal minority.

Please visit the conference website for details.

View photos from the event here. Full video of the conference is available below.

Welcome & Introduction