Nellie Connally
Encyclopedia
Idanell Brill "Nellie" Connally (February 24, 1919 – September 1, 2006) was the First Lady
of Texas
from 1963 to 1969.
, she was wife of John Connally
, who served as Governor of Texas
and later as Secretary of the Treasury
.
At the time of her death in 2006, she was the last surviving occupant of the presidential limousine that carried John F. Kennedy
when he was assassinated
in Dallas, Texas
, on November 22, 1963. In addition to the President, she was predeceased by her husband and by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, as well as by Roy Kellerman
and William Greer
, the two secret service agents operating the limousine and seated in front of the Connallys. Secret Service agent Clint Hill
was not an original passenger in the limousine; however, he boarded the vehicle after shots were fired and remained until the car's arrival at Parkland Hospital, making him the last surviving passenger that rode in the limousine that day.
While riding in the car with President Kennedy, she told him, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Almost immediately, she heard the first of what she later concluded were three gunshots in quick succession.
The President and Mrs. Connally's husband were shot, resulting in fatal wounds to the President and serious wounds to Governor Connally. Mrs. Connally got down in the car to take care of her husband, who had slumped after the second shot. "I never looked back again. I was just trying to take care of him", she said.
Connally had said the most enduring image she had of the assassination in Dallas was of a mixture of blood and roses.
"It's the image of yellow roses and red roses and blood all over the car ... all over us", she said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. "I'll never forget it. ... It was so quick and so short, so potent."
Anniversaries and media interviews followed the Connallys for decades to come. In her 2003 book From Love Field—Our Final Hours with John F. Kennedy, Connally shared her personal diary of the event, originally written for her children and other descendants in the days immediately after the assassination.
, Donald Trump
, and Barbara Walters
turned out for a gala to honor her and raise money for diabetes research.
"I've never known a woman with Super Nellie's courage, compassion and character," Walters said. "For all her ups and downs, I've never heard a self-pitying word from her." The "downs" that Walters spoke of were financial difficulties she and her husband faced.
lawyer. An oil company in which he invested encountered trouble, and $200 million of real-estate projects failed. He filed for reorganization of his personal finances under Chapter 11
of the federal bankruptcy
code and for liquidation
, under Chapter 7
, of the Barnes–Connally Partnership, the Austin
-based real-estate venture that he founded with former Lt. Gov.
Ben Barnes. The auction paid only a fraction of the $93 million in debts that Connally listed with the bankruptcy court in Austin.
survivors at a ceremony in the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at Anderson Hospital in Houston. She had been free of breast cancer for 10 years. She served on the M. D. Anderson Board of Visitors since 1984, and a fund in her name raised millions for research and patient programs.
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1963 to 1969.
First Lady of Texas
Born in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, she was wife of John Connally
John Connally
John Bowden Connally, Jr. , was an influential American politician, serving as the 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in...
, who served as Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
and later as Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
.
Death of President Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
when he was assassinated
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, on November 22, 1963. In addition to the President, she was predeceased by her husband and by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, as well as by Roy Kellerman
Roy Kellerman
Roy Herman Kellerman was a U.S. Secret Service Agent assigned to protect President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963...
and William Greer
William Greer
William Robert Greer was an agent of the U.S. Secret Service, best known for having driven President John F...
, the two secret service agents operating the limousine and seated in front of the Connallys. Secret Service agent Clint Hill
Clint Hill
Clinton J. Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After Kennedy was shot, Hill ran from the car immediately behind the presidential limousine and leapt onto the back of it, holding on while the car...
was not an original passenger in the limousine; however, he boarded the vehicle after shots were fired and remained until the car's arrival at Parkland Hospital, making him the last surviving passenger that rode in the limousine that day.
While riding in the car with President Kennedy, she told him, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Almost immediately, she heard the first of what she later concluded were three gunshots in quick succession.
The President and Mrs. Connally's husband were shot, resulting in fatal wounds to the President and serious wounds to Governor Connally. Mrs. Connally got down in the car to take care of her husband, who had slumped after the second shot. "I never looked back again. I was just trying to take care of him", she said.
Connally had said the most enduring image she had of the assassination in Dallas was of a mixture of blood and roses.
"It's the image of yellow roses and red roses and blood all over the car ... all over us", she said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. "I'll never forget it. ... It was so quick and so short, so potent."
Anniversaries and media interviews followed the Connallys for decades to come. In her 2003 book From Love Field—Our Final Hours with John F. Kennedy, Connally shared her personal diary of the event, originally written for her children and other descendants in the days immediately after the assassination.
Diabetes Advocate
She was also an active fundraiser for many charities. In 1989, Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, and Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
turned out for a gala to honor her and raise money for diabetes research.
"I've never known a woman with Super Nellie's courage, compassion and character," Walters said. "For all her ups and downs, I've never heard a self-pitying word from her." The "downs" that Walters spoke of were financial difficulties she and her husband faced.
Bankruptcy
Private business ventures after 1980 were less successful than John Connally's career as a politician and dealmaking HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
lawyer. An oil company in which he invested encountered trouble, and $200 million of real-estate projects failed. He filed for reorganization of his personal finances under Chapter 11
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
of the federal bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
code and for liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
, under Chapter 7
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
, of the Barnes–Connally Partnership, the Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based real-estate venture that he founded with former Lt. Gov.
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Ben Barnes. The auction paid only a fraction of the $93 million in debts that Connally listed with the bankruptcy court in Austin.
Breast Cancer Advocate
Nellie Connally celebrated her 80th birthday with fellow breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
survivors at a ceremony in the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at Anderson Hospital in Houston. She had been free of breast cancer for 10 years. She served on the M. D. Anderson Board of Visitors since 1984, and a fund in her name raised millions for research and patient programs.