The pioneering Texas liberal Frances “Sissy” Farenthold died Sunday at the age of 94. In 1971, as the only woman elected to the Texas House, she led a revolt against corruption, then overcame long odds to become a serious candidate for Texas governor. In 1972, she lost a bid to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for vice president.

Reporter: “Do you think at this time a woman could be nominated as a vice-presidential candidate?”

Frances “Sissy” Farenthold: “To me, the pursuit of public office is a corollary to full citizenship.”

Sissy Farenthold later led the National Women’s Political Caucus to recruit women to run for elected office. She dedicated the rest of her life to nuclear disarmament, human rights in Central America and abolishing the death penalty.