_ The Dallas Morning News Sunday, February 15, 2004 Page 3E

They were there

Fifty years ago, two young mothers set out to crash the boys clubs of law and journalism, and in
doing so, they helped ensure a better future for Texas women.
By JOYCE SAENZ HARRIS LOUISE HILMA
Staff Writer
BALLERSTEDT

W
hen Dallas attorney Louise B. Raggio RAGGIO
takes the podium with her friend and Date and place of birth:
June 15, 1919, in Austin
biographer, writer Vivian Castleberry,
its a good bet you wont be bored. Occupation: Attorney
Vivian and I have this dog-and-po- My ideal vacation: A
ny show, Ms. Raggio says. We dont have a script; we Caribbean island
just talk. My hero is: My deceased
husband
It takes a combined 165 years of closing notes from Sen. Kay Bailey
life experience to put this dog- Hutchison, Gloria Steinem, James My favorite presidents:
and-pony show together. They al- MacGregor Burns and others. Harry Truman and Lyndon Baines
ways have plenty of lively material Ms. Raggio and Ms. Castleber- Johnson
to amuse or instruct their audienc- ry have known each other for de-
The best advice I could give
es, because Ms. Raggio, 84, and cades and have much in common.
a 20-year-old: No matter how
Ms. Castleberry, 81, often wit- Both grew up poor, as small-town many times you fail, keep on
nessed history being made. Texas farm girls with mothers keeping on.
Sometimes, they were the ones who valued education beyond any
making history. other thing, Ms. Castleberry says. My last meal would be: Wild
Louise Ballerstedt Raggio Where we differed was that Lou- salmon, mixed vegetables, lemon
broke ground for Texas women in ise was an only child, and I was the meringue pie
law and business, becoming the eldest of three. Guests at my fantasy
first female assistant district attor- Both were valedictorians of dinner party: Eleanor
ney in Dallas and spearheading their high school classes. Ms. Rag- Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Jesus
the states pioneering Family Code gio got her law degree at Southern Christ, Mary Magdalene, Martin
laws, which dealt with marriage, Methodist University; Ms. Castle- Luther King Jr. and Susan B.
divorce and support of children, in berry got her bachelors in journal- Anthony
1979. ism at SMU. Ms. Raggio managed
Favorite city other than
Vivian Anderson Castleberry her career while raising three sons
Dallas: New York
transformed the Dallas Times with her late husband and law
Heralds tradi- partner, Grier I regret: Not being taller
tional womens H. Raggio;
pages
news-feature
into I often say the two Ms. Castleber-
ry managed
Nobody knows I: Won a
dancing contest in college
sections tack-
ling child
most important hers
rearing
while
five
VIVIAN LOU
abuse, domes-
tic violence, di-
women in Dallas are daughters
with her hus- ANDERSON
vorce, day care
and other
Louise Raggio and band, Curtis
Castleberry.
CASTLEBERRY
Date and place of birth:
tough topics of
modern wom-
Vivian Castleberry, Both hus-
bands fought
April 8, 1922, Lindale, Smith
County, Texas
ens lives.
Vivian and in my humble in the South
Pacific in Occupation: Journalist/writer
Louise
took on things
both
opinion. They are World War II,
though the
Favorite movies: Gone With
the Wind because it was my
no one had tak-
both giants. Raggios wed coming of age! And Guess
en on before before Pearl Whos Coming to Dinner because
them, says Harbor and it opened the door to human
their friend Virginia Whitehill, friend of Ms. the Castleber- social equality.
Virginia Whi- Raggio and Ms. Castleberry rys married af- My ideal vacation: New
tehill of Dallas, ter the war. Zealand, still a virtually
a longtime advocate for womens And then, both Ms. Raggio and undisturbed paradise
rights. I often say the two most Ms. Castleberry chose professions My heroes: My maternal
important women in Dallas are that were traditionally male-dom- grandmother, my mother and my
Louise Raggio and Vivian Castle- inated and especially in conser- husband
berry, in my humble opinion. vative postwar Dallas not terri-
They are both giants. bly welcoming to the few women My favorite presidents:
On Feb. 21, Ms. Raggio and Ms. in their ranks. Thus each of them CHERYL DIAZ MEYER/Staff Photographer Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon
Castleberry will receive the eighth had to reinvent the way mothers Baines Johnson, because he did
so much for civil rights and for
annual Susan B. Anthony Award, were expected to work in the Newswoman Vivian A. Castleberry (left) was uncertain about writing Louise Raggios
women
given by First United Methodist 1950s and 60s. autobiography. But her fears were soothed when Ms. Raggio (right) said to her, at a party,
Churchs Council on the Status They accomplished this with a Youve been putting words in my mouth for almost 50 years. Why do you want to quit now? The best advice I could
and Role of Women, at a luncheon formidable combination of give a 20-year-old: Keep
in the Fairmont Hotels Venetian smarts, tenacity and charm. envisioning a better world and
Room. Writer Liz Carpenter, for- Ms. Castleberry used a gentle, nally in June 1967, and Ms. Raggio wife was able to discover the truth, Ms. Raggio in countless Times work like crazy to make it come
mer press secretary to Lady Bird but strong influence with the male was there to witness history. The thanks to the Freedom of Informa- Herald articles over the years. I about.
Johnson and a friend of both hon- publishers and male editors to Act gave married women in Texas tion Act. really felt a debt to Vivian, Ms. My last meal would be:
orees, will be keynote speaker. transform the pages of her news- the right to conduct financial af- Early in the war, when Mr. Rag- Raggio says, because she was Sliced baked chicken,
Its the latest of many profes- paper to a very enlightened, is- fairs, such as opening a bank ac- gio worked undercover with the writing all those stories no one else fresh-from-the-garden sliced East
sional and civic honors bestowed sues-oriented coverage, says Tom count, signing contracts or selling U.S. Department of Agriculture to was writing at the time, about Texas tomatoes, black-eyed peas,
on Ms. Raggio and Ms. Castle- Johnson of Atlanta, who led the inherited property, without a hus- nab perpetrators of ration-stamp womens legal and health issues. summer squash, corn on the cob
berry. Both are in the Texas Wom- Times Herald in the 1970s and bands permission.Within another fraud, the secretive nature of his Ms. Castleberry wanted to fin- and corn bread, with fresh sliced
ens Hall of Fame and have won now is retired as CNN chairman decade, Texas achieved its Family job attracted suspicions in South ish writing Sarah, the Bridge peaches and country cream for
the Gertrude Shelburne Humani- and CEO. Code, a landmark set of laws that Texas. Builder, her forthcoming book on dessert
tarian Award from Planned Par- As editor and as publisher, I set the pattern for similar legisla- Ms. Raggio obtained FBI and pioneer Sarah Cockrell, whom she Guests at my fantasy
enthood of North Texas Inc. They often was prodded, persuaded and tion ever since. Army files on her husband, filled says was Texas first millionaire. dinner party: Curtis and I
have reached the lofty status of convinced by Vivian to make the with lies and speculation from And she didnt want to tamper
having awards named after them: Times Herald a newspaper that Times of trial people who had little acquain- with the friendship she had with
would invite our children and
grandchildren to a dinner party
The Dallas Women Lawyers asso- strongly supported womens Texas Tornado gives Ms. Rag- tance with him but distrusted his Ms. Raggio: The chemistry be- with fantasy guests Eleanor
ciation has its Louise B. Raggio rights and civil rights, Mr. John- gios personal life equal time with passion for civil rights. tween author and subject can be Roosevelt, Katharine Graham,
Award and the Association of son says. She was a powerful voice her legal career, providing star- The other major revelation for uncomfortable. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther
Women Journalists its Vivian Cas- on the editorial board. tlingly intimate glimpses into her Ms. Raggios friends was the dis- But as Ms. Castleberry notes in King Jr., Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel
tleberry Woman of Courage Ms. Castleberry was the first long, devoted but by no means un- closure that for a decade, during Texas Tornado: The deal was Peace Prize winner), Rosa Parks,
Award. woman to sit on the Heralds edi- complicated marriage. the same period as her legislative cinched at a Christmas party when Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret
Ms. Raggio, with her puckish torial board. She remembers being Mr. Burns, the Pulitzer Prize- campaigns for the Family Code, Louise said: Youve been putting Sanger, Mahatma Gandhi,
sense of humor, makes light of all nervous before her debut, wonder- winning author and Ms. Raggios she battled devastating bouts of words in my mouth for almost 50 Winston Churchill, Sacagawea and
this. You know why everyones ing how she would fare in arcane close friend, told her that if she depression. years. Why do you want to quit Bill Moyers
giving Vivian and me so many boardroom debates. The fears was to do a memoir, it had to be Homeopathic remedies finally now? I regret: I dont! Made up my
awards these days? she likes to werent unfounded: Her fellow absolutely candid and truthful. So proved to be the solution for her. Though the story is told in Ms. mind years ago that I would do the
ask. Because they think were go- members most spirited topic of even old friends were floored to Ms. Raggio now hopes to promote Raggios distinctive voice, Ive best I can with what I have to do
ing to die soon. discussion was the Cowboys game read of the Raggios private trials, awareness of depression and en- been Louise for two years, and with and not entertain what ifs.
But, as anyone who has seen about which she knew nothing. never before disclosed to anyone courage other sufferers to get help. now it feels like mine. Indeed, Ms.
Louise & Vivians Famous Dog- Ms. Raggio likewise used her but their three sons. Castleberry adds, her greatest ac- Nobody knows: How much fun
and-Pony Show can testify, these State Bar offices to help legislate One anguish was the mysteri- Channeling Louise colade for Texas Tornado came I had being Louise Raggio for two
two are very much alive and kick- an array of rights for Texas women ous blacklisting that diverted This book was supposed to be from Kenneth Raggio, Louises years while I pulled together the
countless pieces of her life for
ing and working. They still have something she believed had to Grier H. Raggio from officers for my grandchildren, Ms. Raggio youngest son who, like his
Texas Tornado
law cases to win, books to write be formalized by enforceable stat- training in World War II, sending says. It began as informal audio- brothers Grier Jr. and Thomas, is
and humanitarian causes to ute law before an equal-rights him instead to Pacific battle- taped reminiscences, later tran- also her law partner.
champion. amendment could have any real grounds, including Iwo Jima. He scribed by granddaughter Julie He came up and put his arm
power. It took her task force two came home in September 1945, Raggio. around me, Ms. Castleberry says,
Two of a kind painstaking years and seven drafts suffering from what now is called Ms. Whitehill read the tran- smiling at the memory. And he
Together they produced Texas to write a keystone bill, the Marital post-traumatic stress disorder and script, and I kept saying, Louise, said: You really captured that
Tornado (Citadel Press; $24.95), Property Act. depression. youve got to write this down. woman.
Ms. Raggios life story, written Louise Raggio worked my own The Veterans Administration But Ms. Raggio didnt think she Ms. Raggio and Ms. Castleberry will speak
with Ms. Castleberry and pub- charm and shenanigans, as she fired him for alleged un-Ameri- had the time or the necessary skills and sign books at The Park City Club at 11:30
lished last year. The books subtitle puts it in Texas Tornado, and the canism, but eventually he was ex- to construct a memoir. It was Ms. a.m. Thursday. Tickets are $25, $45 with
is The Autobiography of a Crusad- bill passed both houses of the Leg- onerated. Mr. Raggio died in April Whitehill who suggested that Ms. lunch. For reservations, call 214-665-9401,
er for Womens Rights and Family islature almost without opposi- 1988 without knowing why he had Castleberry should tackle the pro- or e-mail jsweeneypr@aol.com.
Justice, and it includes a foreword tion. The Marital Property Act was been smeared. ject.
E-mail jharris@dallasnews.com
by former Gov. Ann Richards and signed into law by Gov. John Con- More than 11 years later, his Ms. Castleberry had quoted