TX HR1243

Texas House of Representatives commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1925 all-female Texas Supreme Court, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation

Governor Pat Morris Neff appointed three women lawyers to hear the case W.T. Johnson et al. v. J.M. Darr et al. after all three sitting justices were disqualified due to membership in the Woodmen of the World fraternity

Chief Justice Hortense Sparks Ward of Houston led the court, joined by Associate Justices Ruth Virginia Brazzil of Galveston and Hattie Leah Henenberg of Dallas

The special court met three times and issued a unanimous ruling in favor of the Woodmen in May 1925, with proceedings covered by The New York Times and other major outlets

Resolution adopted by the House on May 22, 2025, by non-record vote