79R7446 MAM-D

By:  Hodge                                                        H.R. No. 597



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Family and friends deeply mourn the passing of Betty 
Jo Peacock Hay of Dallas, who died at the age of 73 on February 16, 
2005, but they may take comfort in memories of a life filled with 
joyful times and meaningful accomplishments; and
	WHEREAS, The former president of the National Mental Health 
Association, Betty Jo Hay was widely admired for her tireless 
advocacy in behalf of children, education, and mental health 
issues, and her work influenced public policy and inspired 
generations of volunteers; and
	WHEREAS, Born in McAlester, Oklahoma, Mrs. Hay moved to 
Dallas with her family when she was 12 and attended Sunset High 
School; a skilled debater, she developed a lifelong passion for 
politics following the election of her uncle, Carl Albert, to the 
United States Congress; after graduating from Southern Methodist 
University with a bachelor's degree in speech, she married Jess 
Hay, a fellow debater; the early years of her marriage were spent 
volunteering for political campaigns and raising two daughters; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Hay's civic life was centered around a deep 
interest in the role of education in the lives of young people, and 
her decades of service included 13 consecutive years as a PTA room 
mother and six years on the Coordinating Board of the Texas College 
and University System; in 1972, she received a phone call asking her 
to serve as chair of the Galaxy Ball, the annual fund—raiser for the 
Texas Mental Health Association, and thus began a volunteer career 
devoted to needs of the mental health community; she joined the 
organization's national board in 1978 and was elected president of 
the Dallas chapter in 1981 and 1982; after serving as president of 
the state organization, she was elected to serve as president of the 
National Mental Health Association in 1986; and
	WHEREAS, This tenacious woman, along with her husband, 
combined their interests in education and health to fund the Betty 
Jo Hay Distinguished Chair in Mental Health at UT Southwestern, and 
the couple's gifts to the school have helped fund a research center 
for mood disorders; in 1990, Mrs. Hay received the Sandy Brandt 
Volunteer Award, the National Mental Health Association's highest 
honor for volunteers; and
	WHEREAS, Another proud moment in the life of this notable 
civic leader came when she was appointed by the United States Senate 
to serve on the 18-member National Commission on Children; this 
appointment provided only one of many venues through which she made 
her voice heard on issues facing young people: she also served as a 
member of the Texas Commission on Children and Youth, the 
Governor's Council on Disabilities, the National Committee for the 
Prevention of Child Abuse, and the Hogg Foundation's commission on 
children and their families, to name but a few; and
	WHEREAS, A loving mother and grandmother, Mrs. Hay was an 
ardent Democrat with a vivacious, good-humored personality that 
complemented her deep intellectual prowess; she was a 
much-treasured citizen of Dallas and will be deeply missed by those 
who knew her and by those who were touched by her extraordinary 
commitment to community service; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Betty Jo Peacock Hay 
and extend deepest sympathy to the members of her family:  to her 
husband, Jess Hay; to her daughters, Deborah Hay Spradley and 
Patricia Hay Daibert; to her son-in-law, E. Webb Spradley; to her 
grandchildren, Jessica Kathryn Werner, Rachel Hay Spradley, and 
Jess Hay Daibert; and to the many other members of her family and 
friends; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of 
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Betty Jo 
Hay.