R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Sylvia Smith, the esteemed chair of the Ellis County 1-2 Historical Commission, was honored by the Texas Historical 1-3 Commission at the 2001 Annual Historic Preservation Conference in 1-4 Austin with the organization's John Ben Shepperd Leadership Award, 1-5 which is given annually to honor outstanding leadership of a 1-6 preservation organization; and 1-7 WHEREAS, A most deserving recipient of this accolade, 1-8 Mrs. Smith traces her lineage to Ellis County pioneers, and her 1-9 commitment to the preservation of our shared Lone Star heritage is 1-10 reflected in her many notable achievements; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Under Mrs. Smith's expert direction, the Ellis 1-12 County Historical Commission has initiated numerous worthy 1-13 endeavors, including the Roof-Slate Project for the Ellis County 1-14 Courthouse and the Neglected Cemeteries Project, which marshaled 1-15 the efforts of volunteers to clean six cemeteries in the past year, 1-16 two of which have since received Texas historic cemetery 1-17 designations; and 1-18 WHEREAS, She serves as president of the Ellis County 1-19 Genealogy Society, the Red Oak History Association, and the 1-20 Lancaster Genealogical Society and is an active member of Historic 1-21 Waxahachie, Inc., and the Chautauqua Preservation Society; and 1-22 WHEREAS, Known to many as "Miss Ellie," a weekly guest host 1-23 on KBEC Radio, Mrs. Smith also contributes to the betterment of her 1-24 community as a board member of the Ellis County Museum and the 2-1 North Ellis County Outreach Center; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Sylvia Smith has done an exemplary job of preserving 2-3 Ellis County's rich cultural and historical heritage for 2-4 generations to come, and her efforts have earned her the lasting 2-5 appreciation of her fellow Texans; now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby congratulate Sylvia Smith on her receipt of the 2-8 John Ben Shepperd Leadership Award from the Texas Historical 2-9 Commission and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued 2-10 success; and, be it further 2-11 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-12 prepared for Mrs. Smith as an expression of high regard by the 2-13 Texas House of Representatives. Pitts _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 998 was adopted by the House on May 18, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House