H.C.R. No. 5
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The tragic passing of Susan Ginsburg Hadden on
1-2 January 15, 1995, at the age of 49, has brought a profound loss to
1-3 the family and the many friends, colleagues, and admirers of this
1-4 distinguished woman; and
1-5 WHEREAS, A native of Austin, she received her undergraduate
1-6 degree in Sanskrit from Radcliffe College and earned masters and
1-7 doctoral degrees in Political Science from the University of
1-8 Chicago before embarking on a career as a professor of public
1-9 affairs; in 1979, Professor Hadden joined the faculty of the Lyndon
1-10 B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at
1-11 Austin where she developed a national reputation as an expert in
1-12 several critical public policy areas and authored two books, Read
1-13 the Label: Reducing Risk by Providing Information and Citizen's
1-14 Right to Know: Risk Communication and Public Policy; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Although her areas of greatest expertise were
1-16 telecommunications and environmental issues, Professor Hadden
1-17 displayed a remarkable intellectual versatility and a rare ability
1-18 to think in global, rather than local, terms; her undergraduate
1-19 study of Sanskrit was augmented by an extended stay in India, and
1-20 her extensive world travels added to her multinational perspective
1-21 on technological and political issues; and
1-22 WHEREAS, Despite the growing demands on her time as a member
1-23 of numerous federal, state, and local advisory committees, she
1-24 continued to devote herself wholeheartedly to teaching, for she did
2-1 not do anything halfway; her genuine enthusiasm for teaching and
2-2 her warm, approachable manner put students and colleagues alike at
2-3 ease, and her innovative ideas inspired them to look for ways to
2-4 better the world around them; and
2-5 WHEREAS, Her diligent work, inspired by her passion for
2-6 meaningful public participation and her hope for greater individual
2-7 participation in the democratic process, brought her to a position
2-8 of influence within the growing field of communications technology
2-9 in this "information age," an age that she feared could exclude
2-10 large numbers of individuals from meaningful participation simply
2-11 because they lack the tools of communication; acting on this
2-12 passion and in the capacity of policy chairwoman and board member
2-13 of the Alliance for Public Technology, Professor Hadden represented
2-14 the consumer voice at the N.I.I. Telecommunity Conference, which
2-15 brought together a diverse group of representatives from all
2-16 aspects of the telecommunications field, from health and education
2-17 to entertainment, in both the private and public sectors; and
2-18 WHEREAS, To help actualize the conference's goals of
2-19 enhancing health, economic welfare, democracy, and community for
2-20 all through interactive communications, she recently met with Vice
2-21 President Al Gore and testified before congress and the Texas
2-22 Legislature on providing universal access to the "information
2-23 superhighway"; and
2-24 WHEREAS, It was this heartfelt belief in a truly egalitarian
2-25 democracy that was inspiring to Professor Hadden's friends,
2-26 colleagues, and students; a vocal advocate of "civitas," or civic,
2-27 humanitarian community, this visionary individual challenged public
3-1 officials to use technological advancements to narrow the gaps
3-2 between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, and urban and
3-3 rural, rather than widening them, and her arguments were as
3-4 intellectually sound as they were morally upstanding; and
3-5 WHEREAS, Her work and her unfettered joy in life were often
3-6 inspired by her family, including her husband of many years, W.
3-7 James Hadden, Jr., a computer expert with the Texas Natural
3-8 Resource Conservation Commission; her son, W. James Hadden IV, a
3-9 junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and her
3-10 daughter, Lucy Hadden, and son-in-law, William Brockman, both
3-11 graduate students at the University of California at San Diego; and
3-12 WHEREAS, Despite her many scholarly achievements, Professor
3-13 Hadden was known and respected as much for her warmth, compassion,
3-14 and optimism as for her intellect; her ability to get to the very
3-15 heart and meaning of issues that would otherwise be considered
3-16 academic material surely inspired her family as well as her
3-17 students, and their continuing commitment to education and public
3-18 service is a living testament to the spirit of this admirable
3-19 woman; now, therefore, be it
3-20 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-21 hereby pay tribute to the life of Susan Ginsburg Hadden and extend
3-22 sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her husband,
3-23 W. James Hadden, Jr.; to her son, W. James Hadden IV; to her
3-24 daughter, Lucy Hadden, and son-in-law, William Brockman; to her
3-25 parents, Nathan and Ruth Ginsburg; and to all the many friends and
3-26 family of this beloved woman; and, be it further
3-27 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-1 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas
4-2 House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
4-3 memory of Susan Ginsburg Hadden.