Former Fort Worth Mayor and later U.S. Representative Kay Granger died Aug. 2.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced her death at the age of 83 in a post to X. Granger represented the 12th Congressional District from 1997-2025.
“Some simply hold the gavel–Kay demonstrated what it meant to wield it,” U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said in a news release following her death. “Her life and career were defined by a remarkable legacy of firsts: the first woman to become Mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas, the first woman to Chair the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and the first woman to lead House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee. Yet, Kay never rested in the remarkableness of each milestone–she was always ready for the next responsibility, the next challenge and the next opportunity to serve.”
The details
Granger graduated from Eastern Hills High School in Fort Worth and attended Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. She was a journalism and English teacher at Richland High School in Birdville ISD and later owned her own insurance agency. She became a chairman of the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, where she served from 1981-89.
Granger joined the Fort Worth City Council in 1989 and served a two-year term. She became the city’s first female mayor and the 41st mayor when she took office on May 21, 1991. She served in that role until Dec. 19, 1995.
According to her biography, she led crime-fighting reforms that slashed crime in the city and helped land the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, the first joint reserve base in the country, in 1994. The base hosts airlift and fighter units from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force reserves, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
What else?
Granger was on several committees during her time in Washington, D.C., starting with the budget, joint committee on printing, national security, oversight and transportation and infrastructure in 1997. She later joined the Appropriations Committee in 1999 and the Select Committee on Homeland Security in 2002.
Granger’s other honors through include:
- Texas Women’s University Hall of Fame
- Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame
- Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Great American Patriot Award
- Texas Association of Business’ Bob Bolen Champion of Free Enterprise Lifetime Achievement Award
- Democracy Award from the Congressional Management Foundation
In their own words
“Over the years that I worked with Kay, I learned from her indelible spirit, work ethic, constant sacrifice and unwavering commitment to Texas and Fort Worth,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a social media post. “I’m fortunate to have called her a mentor and friend.”
