Betty King, the beloved, longest-serving secretary of the Senate in Texas history, died in December.

• Position: NEWSMAKERS - Brief article - Obituary

Betty King, the beloved, longest-serving secretary of the Senate in Texas history, died in December. She was 89. Her love of Texas government was sparked when, at 14, she served as an honorary page. After graduating from the University of Texas, she began her career as a clerk for the Texas House Appropriations Committee in 1947. She was elected to her Senate post in 1977 and served under four lieutenant governors and 97 senators. Her unflappable disposition earned her the reputation as a diplomat in the Senate, and in the words of former Governor and Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry, she had "an uncanny ability to manage a chamber full of mighty egos and make each feel they were the most important in the midst. During her nearly 54 years of service to...