She was born in New Orleans , Louisiana , and was graduated from Vassar College in 1949 . In 1950 , she married Tobin Armstrong and moved to Kenedy County , Texas . From 1966 to 1968 , she was the vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party . From 1971 to 1973 she was Co-chairman of the Republican National Committee , and she was the keynote speaker at the 1972 Republican National Convention . ( She was the first woman from either major party to keynote at a national convention ) . Nixon named her as Counselor to the President on 19 December 1972 , which she held from January 19 , 1973 to November 1974 under President Ford . During her tenure as Counselor , Armstrong founded the first Office of Women 's Programs in the White House , predecessor to the current White House Council on Women and Girls . Fluent in Spanish , she was Nixon 's liaison to Hispanic Americans and was a member of a Cabinet committee on opportunities for Spanish-speaking people . In 1973 , a young Karl Rove , then on his way to becoming the chairman of the College Republicans , suggested in a memorandum to Armstrong that the Republican Party show nonpolitical films ( such as John Wayne movies and '' Reefer Madness '' ) at College Republican clubs as part of a strategy to raise support for the party among students and for fundraising
1972 Republican National Convention
1972 Republican National Convention
Anne Armstrong