One of the most distinguished public figures to call Ennis home was Katie Daffan who lived out her final years here. This summer (July 29) marks her 148th birthday. Katie Daffan (1874-1951) first rose to fame as a journalist and social activist in the early 1900s, interested mainly in education and women’s rights. The author of eight books, “Miss Katie,” as she was popularly known, became literary editor of the Houston Chronicle and president of the Texas Women’s Press Association. In 1911 she was also the first female elected to head a state agency, the Confederate Woman’s Home in Austin. Miss Katie even campaigned for governor in 1930, but withdrew from the race when her candidacy threatened to split the Democratic vote.