|
| Affiliation | Democratic |
|
| |
2021-01-01 |
|
|
| Name | Beryl Ann (B A) Longino Bentsen |
| Address |
, Texas , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
February 04, 1922
|
| Died | May 05, 2020
(98 years)
|
| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Modifed | ev
Nov 24, 2021 02:15pm |
| Tags |
Baptist -
|
| Info | Beryl Ann Longino was born the only child of Ann Newton Longino and Burrell Andrew Longino in Lufkin, Texas on Feb. 4, 1922. Orphaned at twelve, she was raised by her Aunt Margaret Longino. She graduated from Lufkin High School at 16 and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. The first career for the hazel-eyed beauty from East Texas was at Harry Conover Modeling Agency in New York City. In 1943, while living at the Barbizon Hotel for Women, Lloyd Bentsen came courting. After six dates they were married in Columbus, Mississippi. She recalled, "Once she found Lloyd, she was home."
B.A. lived with Lloyd's family in McAllen until he returned from the service. For the next 35 years B.A. joined Lloyd on a new career path of their seemingly non-stop campaigns and public service including her husband's run for county judge, four elections to the US House of Representatives, four elections to the United States Senate and Presidential and Vice-presidential candidacies. She campaigned energetically for Lloyd's causes, for they were her causes, too. Her political acumen was underscored by her service as the National Democratic Committee Woman from Texas at the fractious 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
B.A. was intelligent, hard-working, cheerful with a heavy dose of charm and grace. Even her husband jokingly referred to her initials, B.A. as an abbreviation for Lloyd's BEST ASSET. And, indeed she was.
B.A. raised three children, Lloyd M. III, Lan Chase and Tina Ann, while shuttling back and forth 28 times in 30 years from Texas to Washington, D.C. Her focus was consistent: faith, family and community. She taught Sunday School for 12 years and served as a founding member of both River Oaks Baptist Church School and the First Presbyterian Church School.
Returning to Houston in 1994 she quickly reengaged in her community, serving on the boards of the Houston Symphony, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and the YWCA. Her business acumen was reflected in her service on the boards of Criterion Capital of Houston, Transamerica Funds of San Francisco, and their successor, John Hancock Mutual Funds of Boston
Losing Lloyd to a stroke in 2006 and shrugging off a severe stroke of her own in 2009, B.A. Bentsen opened The Senator Lloyd and B.A. Bentsen Stroke Research Center at UT's Institute for Molecular Medicine in 2009.
[Link] |
 | BOOKS |
 |
|
| Title |
Purchase |
Contributor |
|
| Start Date |
End Date |
Type |
Title |
Contributor |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
| INFORMATION LINKS |
|
|
|
