First Black Woman Texas Ranger Inducted Into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

Dr. Christine A. Nix, the first Black woman promoted to the Texas Rangers Division, has been inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Her induction was announced by Gov. Greg Abbott, who named Nix among five women honored this year for their influence across business, public service, science, and other sectors.

“The Texas Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes remarkable Texas women for their individual achievements and enduring impact on our great state,” Abbott said in a statement, calling the honorees “an inspiration for the next generation of achievers.”

Nix’s recognition caps nearly five decades of service spanning the U.S. Army Reserve, local policing, state law enforcement, and academia. In 1994, she broke a historic barrier when she was promoted into the elite Texas Rangers Division of the Department of Public Safety—an achievement that secured her place in the agency’s modern history.

Speaking to KCEN, Nix credited determination and resilience for carrying her through a predominantly white, male profession.

“When I started, there was some resistance, and what I had to do was I had to be prepared every day I went to work,” she said. “I had to be really thick-skinned. And my philosophy is I will win you over one way or the other, and so I worked hard, I stayed prepared, and little by little, agencies began calling on me.”

The 2025 induction ceremony, hosted by the Governor’s Office and First Lady Cecilia Abbott, took place on Nov. 9 at Texas Woman’s University, home to the permanent Texas Women’s Hall of Fame exhibit. The museum features portraits and biographies of honorees dating back to the Hall’s creation in 1984. Inductees are nominated by Texans and selected by an independent judging panel, with past classes including first ladies, astronauts, entrepreneurs, public servants, and Olympians.

Today, Dr. Nix continues her commitment to public service and leadership as an educator at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, where she helps shape the next generation of Texas leaders.