81R19922 BPG-D
 
  By: Alonzo H.R. No. 1203
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Edith O'Donnell of Dallas has been named the 2009
  Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the Texas
  Cultural Trust; and
         WHEREAS, A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin,
  Mrs. O'Donnell has been a civic leader and philanthropist for more
  than five decades, and has demonstrated selfless devotion to the
  arts, giving unstintingly of her time, expertise, and financial
  resources; she serves on the advisory board of The University of
  Texas College of Fine Arts and on the board and the education
  committee of the Dallas Museum of Art, and previously served a
  six-year term on the Texas Commission on the Arts; and
         WHEREAS, In 1987, Mrs. O'Donnell co-founded a Greater Dallas
  chapter of Young Audiences, believing firmly in the power of the
  arts to help children learn; she continues to serve on the board of
  this dynamic organization, which changed its name to Big Thought as
  it expanded beyond its original arts-in-education mission; through
  the years, Big Thought has supported educational opportunities for
  more than 5 million children and more than 6,000 teachers, and has
  sponsored over 19,000 performances and 124,000 workshops and
  residencies; its initiatives address academic achievement, family
  services, and life skills and workforce development, and its
  programs reach children in neighborhood and after-school settings
  and in juvenile detention centers, as well as in the classroom; the
  Wallace Foundation recently acknowledged the effectiveness of Big
  Thought with an $8 million grant; and
         WHEREAS, This tireless advocate for the arts also created an
  Advanced Placement arts program, which has reached more than 8,000
  arts and music students over the past 15 years; its courses have
  helped build critical thinking, creativity, and other essential
  skills, and its graduating seniors earn some $10 million in
  scholarships annually; with the support of the O'Donnell
  Foundation, young artists are given the opportunity to compete in a
  juried show, the Young Masters Exhibition; and
         WHEREAS, Mrs. O'Donnell's many other cultural activities
  include her service as a member of the original board of the Friends
  of the Governor's Mansion of Texas and as a life trustee of the
  Hockaday School; she is secretary/treasurer of the O'Donnell
  Foundation, which she and her husband, Peter O'Donnell, Jr.,
  established in 1957; this charitable organization works to
  strengthen math, science, and engineering programs and supports
  Advanced Placement and higher education programs in the arts; most
  of its grants benefit public institutions in Texas; and
         WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell have been honored with the
  James K. Wilson Award and the Linz Award, and they became the first
  couple in the history of Southern Methodist University to receive
  honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees together; in 2008,
  Communities Foundation of Texas partnered with the Morton H.
  Meyerson Family Tzedakah Fund to inaugurate the O'Donnell Texas AP
  Teacher Award, which provides substantial cash prizes to educators;
  and
         WHEREAS, Edith O'Donnell has long played a pivotal role in
  the arts community and in arts education in Texas, and her
  generosity and selfless dedication have increased opportunities
  for others and enriched countless lives; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
  Legislature hereby congratulate Edith O'Donnell on being named the
  2009 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the
  Texas Cultural Trust and extend to her sincere appreciation for her
  unwavering commitment to the arts; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Mrs. O'Donnell as an expression of high regard by the
  Texas House of Representatives.