By: Montford S.R. No. 926 1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION 1-2 WHEREAS, Dealey Herndon has earned the admiration and 1-3 gratitude of the citizens of Texas for her monumental work in 1-4 preserving and restoring the cherished Capitol of Texas; and 1-5 WHEREAS, As Executive Director of the State Preservation 1-6 Board during a critical time of the Capitol project, Mrs. Herndon 1-7 worked diligently to complete the vast undertaking on schedule; and 1-8 WHEREAS, On April 21, 1995, the beautifully restored 1-9 Texas Capitol welcomed the people of Texas at a formal rededication 1-10 ceremony, 107 years after it was first opened to the public on 1-11 San Jacinto Day, 1888; and 1-12 WHEREAS, It was a day filled with special significance for 1-13 Dealey Herndon who had so lovingly and expertly supervised the 1-14 complex task during the preceding five years; she was responsible 1-15 for the interior and exterior restoration of the Capitol, the 1-16 construction of the four-story underground Capitol Extension, and 1-17 the restoration of the 1857 General Land Office; and 1-18 WHEREAS, The diverse skills required in her demanding role 1-19 as executive director were awesome in their scope; some components 1-20 of the project included locating and working with the architect 1-21 and designers, managing a budget, fund raising, and working with 1-22 different politicians; and 1-23 WHEREAS, The remarkable lady who handled all of these jobs 2-1 calmly and effectively to fruition was well prepared for her role 2-2 in such an enormous undertaking; and 2-3 WHEREAS, The Dallas native has always been interested in 2-4 historic preservation and restoration and was a docent and board 2-5 member of the Dallas County Heritage Society; in her work at Old 2-6 City Park as a Junior League member and in her volunteer work, she 2-7 also learned how to raise funds for the community; and 2-8 WHEREAS, A graduate of Hockaday School and 2-9 The University of Texas at Austin where she majored 2-10 in government, Dealey Dechard married attorney David Herndon 2-11 in 1968, and the couple eventually settled in Austin where she 2-12 became active in various community activities while caring for 2-13 their sons, Benjamin and Bryan; and 2-14 WHEREAS, When Governor and Mrs. William Clements moved to 2-15 Austin in 1979, they found the Governor's Mansion in disrepair 2-16 and none of the historic furnishings tracked or cataloged; when 2-17 Mrs. Clements started the Friends of the Governor's Mansion, 2-18 Dealey Herndon volunteered to help locate, purchase, and catalog 2-19 the furniture for the mansion; because of her exceptional work, 2-20 she remained as a board member for several years, becoming the 2-21 first full-time administrator for the organization and also 2-22 serving as treasurer and president; and 2-23 WHEREAS, Appointed by Governor Clements as the one citizen 2-24 member of the State Preservation Board in 1987, Dealey was 2-25 instrumental in the decision to go forward with the entire 3-1 restoration of the Capitol after the fire in February, 1983, 3-2 almost destroyed the century-old structure and awakened the 3-3 government to the critical need for extensive renovation; and 3-4 WHEREAS, Known by her friends and close associates for her 3-5 dedication and perseverance, Dealey possesses a unique ability 3-6 to complete tasks despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles; she 3-7 is adept at working with groups of people with diverse opinions 3-8 and remaining calm during stormy periods; and 3-9 WHEREAS, For her exceptional service to the City of Austin 3-10 and the State of Texas, Dealey was awarded the Heritage Society 3-11 of Austin's Community Award in 1991 and the Austin History Center 3-12 Association's "Outstanding Contribution to the Preservation of 3-13 History" in 1991 and was named Austin's Most Worthy Citizen for 3-14 1991 by the Austin Board of Realtors; and 3-15 WHEREAS, Receiving national acclaim for her impressive 3-16 accomplishments in the Capitol project, she is a newly elected 3-17 trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation which 3-18 recently featured the refurbished Texas Capitol in the 3-19 organization's monthly magazine; and 3-20 WHEREAS, The citizens of the Lone Star State are 3-21 deeply indebted to Dealey Herndon for her leadership in 3-22 the Texas Capitol Restoration; by combining restoration of 3-23 all original elements and replication of missing elements with 3-24 the functional requirements of the seat of Texas Government 3-25 she has displayed a thorough understanding of the best principles 4-1 of historic preservation; now, therefore, be it 4-2 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 4-3 74th Legislature, hereby express its warmest congratulations 4-4 to Dealey Herndon for a magnificent accomplishment and extend 4-5 its heartfelt gratitude for such a beautiful edifice; and, be 4-6 it further 4-7 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 4-8 this distinguished Texan as an expression of the highest regard 4-9 of the Texas Senate. 4-10 ______________________________________ 4-11 President of the Senate 4-12 I hereby certify that the above 4-13 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 4-14 on May 4, 1995. 4-15 ______________________________________ 4-16 Secretary of the Senate 4-17 ______________________________________ 4-18 Member, Texas Senate