Anne Armstrong '45, first female Ambassador to the UK, honorary Foxcroft trustee, dies

Anne Legendre Armstrong '45, one of Foxcroft's most accomplished alumnae and an honorary member of the Board of Trustees, died peacefully in Houston, Texas, on July 30, 2008. She was 80. 

The first female to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, Armstrong was an advisor to four U.S. Presidents, Chairman of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a regent of the Texas A&M University system and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  
 
Armstrong was an inspiration for generations of women who followed in the trail she blazed. She served as Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1971 to 1973, the first woman to hold such a position for either national political party. In 1972 she was the first woman to deliver a keynote address at a national political convention.  President Richard M. Nixon appointed her to serve as Counsellor to the President with cabinet rank, a position she continued to hold under President Gerald R. Ford, who later appointed her Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

In 1980, Armstrong became Co-Chairman of the Reagan-Bush campaign. In 1981 President Ronald Reagan appointed her Chairman of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a position she held until 1990. To honor her career of patriotic service Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987 by President Reagan, who said upon the occasion, “Her skill and unstinting effort in the service of her country have earned her the gratitude of our nation.”

Outside the political arena, Armstrong served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as a Regent of Texas A&M University, and as a director on the boards of many corporations such as General Motors, American Express, Boise Cascade, Glaxo-Wellcome, and Halliburton. 

Born in New Orleans, LA, on December 27, 1927, Armstrong received her B.A. degree from Vassar College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. In 1950 she married Tobin Armstrong and moved to his family’s ranch in South Texas, where they raised five children. They enjoyed a remarkable and devoted marriage of 55 years and the Armstrong Ranch remained Anne's home throughout her adult life.  

Armstrong is survived by her five children: J. Barclay Armstrong and wife Nancy and their children John, Alston and Judd; Katharine Armstrong Love and husband Ben and her children Anne, Karsten and Barclay Idsal; Sarita Armstrong Hixon '71 and husband Bob and their children Gideon, Alex, Tom and Tobin; James Armstrong and wife Lucy; Tobin Armstrong, Jr. and wife Ardon and their children Sallie, Tobin III and Phineas; a sister, Katharine Legendre King and her children; and a nephew, Armant Legendre.  

A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, August 15, 2008 at Rudder Auditorium, Texas A&M University campus, College Station, Texas. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Mrs. Armstrong’s name to The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Texas A&M University c/o Texas A&M Foundation, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, or The Tobin and Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.