E. Neveille Higgs Colson was born in Bryan, Texas on 18 July 1902. During her life, she was a school teacher, a state Representative, a state Senator, President pro Tempore of the Senate, and for a day, the Governor of Texas. She was elected to the state House in 1939 and to the state Senate in 1948. She served in the Senate from 1948 to 1966. A former Speaker of the House, Homer Leonard, said of her, "You act like a lady but vote like a man."

Mrs. Neveille Colson was a big advocate of transportation in the state. She was co-author of Texas' farm-to-market road legislation. The longest girder bridge in Texas which is found near Washington-on-the-Brazos was named for her.

Mrs. Colson was married for several years to Ernest Nall Colson, Jr., a football coach from Iola who was himself elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1932. Their marriage ended in 1938.

Neveille Colson passed away on 03 March 1982. She is buried in Bryan City Cemetery in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

Some of this information came from Kathy Day, a history teacher at Navasota High School, who shared copies of newspaper articles that her students used for a paper on Sen. Colson. Thank you Kathy!