By Lewis of Orange                                H.R. No. 79

      75R4984 JHS-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Port Arthur Quota Club has named the Honorable

 1-2     Frances King Monk as its 1996 Woman of the Year, and she will

 1-3     receive this award at a banquet being held in her honor on February

 1-4     20, 1997; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Mrs. Monk currently serves her fellow citizens as

 1-6     mayor of Port Neches and president of the Southeast Texas Regional

 1-7     Planning Commission; by winning the 1996 mayoral race, she set an

 1-8     important precedent, becoming the first woman to attain that highly

 1-9     visible office; and

1-10           WHEREAS, Following a distinguished 32-year career as an

1-11     educator with the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District,

1-12     this noteworthy woman initially caught the public's eye when she

1-13     broke through the city council's gender barrier; in recognition of

1-14     her dedication and commitment to her community, Mrs. Monk was

1-15     reelected four times, serving on this governing body for a total of

1-16     15 years; and

1-17           WHEREAS, A graduate of Beaumont's South Park High School,

1-18     Mrs. Monk earned her bachelor's degree from North Texas State

1-19     University, and shortly thereafter she worked as a linguist with

1-20     the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C.; as a means of

1-21     personal edification, she has done extensive graduate work at Lamar

1-22     University, North Texas State University, and Sam Houston State

1-23     University; and

1-24           WHEREAS, Mrs. Monk is actively involved with the First United

 2-1     Methodist Church of Port Neches, where she teaches a Sunday school

 2-2     class targeted to older women and serves as the church librarian;

 2-3     she is also a past chairman of the administrative board and is a

 2-4     current member of both the finance and long-range planning

 2-5     committees; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, This esteemed woman has devoted a tremendous amount

 2-7     of time to several professional organizations, including the Texas

 2-8     Classroom Teachers Association and the Texas Beta Alpha Chapter of

 2-9     Alpha Delta Kappa, and her many activities earned her mention in

2-10     the 1983 edition of Who's Who Among Women of the Southwest; and

2-11           WHEREAS, Throughout her exceptional career, Mrs. Monk has

2-12     remained a devoted mother to her four children, Steven Paul Monk,

2-13     Michael Bruce Monk, Robert King Monk, and Debra M. Hebert, and she

2-14     takes great pride in the accomplishments of her nine grandchildren;

2-15     her lifetime of public service is an inspiration to all who know

2-16     this remarkable woman, and it is indeed a privilege to join in

2-17     honoring her on the occasion of her latest achievement; now,

2-18     therefore, be it

2-19           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-20     Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Frances King Monk on

2-21     being named the 1996 Woman of the Year by the Port Arthur Quota

2-22     Club and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success

2-23     and happiness in the years to come; and, be it further

2-24           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-25     prepared for Mrs. Monk as an expression of high regard by the Texas

2-26     House of Representatives.