1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 442

 1-3                                  In Memory

 1-4                                     of

 1-5                             Mary Frances Baylor

 1-6           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the citizens

 1-7     of Austin in mourning the loss of one of the city's well-known

 1-8     community organizers and civic leaders, Mary Frances Baylor, who

 1-9     died March 16, 1997, at the age of 67; and

1-10           WHEREAS, The only child of Gladys Y. Freeman, Mary Frances

1-11     lived her entire life on the same street where her great-grandparents

1-12     had lived 100 years before; they were among the founders of the

1-13     West Austin neighborhood called Clarksville, an area settled in 1863

1-14     by African Americans; and

1-15           WHEREAS, A graduate of the original Anderson High School,

1-16     Mary Frances Baylor attended Huston-Tillotson College and was

1-17     employed with the City of Austin, Health and Human Services

1-18     Department, for 24 years; and

1-19           WHEREAS, A volunteer in President Johnson's War on Poverty,

1-20     she served as director of the Clarksville Neighborhood Center

1-21     from 1968 until her retirement in 1996; it was during this time

1-22     that she worked diligently to get the community's streets paved

1-23     and sewers installed; later, when the area became desirable, she

 2-1     became dedicated to building low-income housing that would allow

 2-2     African Americans to stay in their neighborhood; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, Mary never lost her love for her community and her

 2-4     sense of place; her childhood instilled in her the importance of

 2-5     family and community and she developed a deep compassion for the

 2-6     poor; and

 2-7           WHEREAS, She was persistent in her struggle to preserve

 2-8     Clarksville when it was threatened by Austin's rapid growth and

 2-9     the MoPac Expressway, despite those who told her she could not win

2-10     against developers; the recent census confirms that more African

2-11     American families live in Clarksville today than when developers

2-12     came in the 1980s; and

2-13           WHEREAS, A gentle but strong activist for justice and equal

2-14     treatment for all people, Mary became an inspiration for young

2-15     people and encouraged them to become involved in their communities;

2-16     and

2-17           WHEREAS, After her marriage to Charles E. Baylor, Mary became

2-18     the mother of five children, Cynthia, Linda, Vicky, Ronnie, and Skip;

2-19     she provided a nurturing home for her family that grew to include

2-20     five grandchildren and a great-grandchild; and

2-21           WHEREAS, Mrs. Baylor was a devoted member of Sweethome

2-22     Missionary Baptist Church, where she served as church clerk for

2-23     eight years and was active in the Missionary Society; and

2-24           WHEREAS, Mary Frances Baylor leaves a legacy of compassion

2-25     and commitment that will live on in the hearts and minds of all

 3-1     who shared her life as well as those who benefitted from her

 3-2     contributions to the Clarksville community; now, therefore, be it

 3-3           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

 3-4     75th Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the family of

 3-5     Mary Frances Baylor:  her husband, Charles; her daughters, Cynthia,

 3-6     Linda, and Vicky; her sons, Ronnie and Skip; her grandchildren,

 3-7     Kevin, Terry, April, Kisha, and Tony; and her great-grandchild,

 3-8     Dusty; and, be it further

 3-9           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her

3-10     family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas Senate,

3-11     and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of

3-12     Mary Frances Baylor.

3-13                                                              Barrientos

3-14                                  ______________________________________

3-15                                         President of the Senate

3-16                                       I hereby certify that the above

3-17                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

3-18                                  on April 7, 1997, by a rising vote.

3-19                                  ______________________________________

3-20                                         Secretary of the Senate

3-21                                  ______________________________________

3-22                                           Member, Texas Senate