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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Edith O'Donnell of Dallas has been named the 2009 |
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Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the Texas |
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Cultural Trust; and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, |
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Mrs. O'Donnell has been a civic leader and philanthropist for more |
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than five decades, and has demonstrated selfless devotion to the |
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arts, giving unstintingly of her time, expertise, and financial |
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resources; she serves on the advisory board of The University of |
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Texas College of Fine Arts and on the board and the education |
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committee of the Dallas Museum of Art, and previously served a |
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six-year term on the Texas Commission on the Arts; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1987, Mrs. O'Donnell co-founded a Greater Dallas |
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chapter of Young Audiences, believing firmly in the power of the |
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arts to help children learn; she continues to serve on the board of |
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this dynamic organization, which changed its name to Big Thought as |
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it expanded beyond its original arts-in-education mission; through |
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the years, Big Thought has supported educational opportunities for |
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more than 5 million children and more than 6,000 teachers, and has |
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sponsored over 19,000 performances and 124,000 workshops and |
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residencies; its initiatives address academic achievement, family |
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services, and life skills and workforce development, and its |
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programs reach children in neighborhood and after-school settings |
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and in juvenile detention centers, as well as in the classroom; the |
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Wallace Foundation recently acknowledged the effectiveness of Big |
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Thought with an $8 million grant; and |
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WHEREAS, This tireless advocate for the arts also created an |
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Advanced Placement arts program, which has reached more than 8,000 |
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arts and music students over the past 15 years; its courses have |
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helped build critical thinking, creativity, and other essential |
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skills, and its graduating seniors earn some $10 million in |
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scholarships annually; with the support of the O'Donnell |
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Foundation, young artists are given the opportunity to compete in a |
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juried show, the Young Masters Exhibition; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. O'Donnell's many other cultural activities |
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include her service as a member of the original board of the Friends |
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of the Governor's Mansion of Texas and as a life trustee of the |
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Hockaday School; she is secretary/treasurer of the O'Donnell |
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Foundation, which she and her husband, Peter O'Donnell, Jr., |
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established in 1957; this charitable organization works to |
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strengthen math, science, and engineering programs and supports |
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Advanced Placement and higher education programs in the arts; most |
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of its grants benefit public institutions in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell have been honored with the |
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James K. Wilson Award and the Linz Award, and they became the first |
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couple in the history of Southern Methodist University to receive |
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honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees together; in 2008, |
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Communities Foundation of Texas partnered with the Morton H. |
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Meyerson Family Tzedakah Fund to inaugurate the O'Donnell Texas AP |
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Teacher Award, which provides substantial cash prizes to educators; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Edith O'Donnell has long played a pivotal role in |
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the arts community and in arts education in Texas, and her |
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generosity and selfless dedication have increased opportunities |
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for others and enriched countless lives; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Edith O'Donnell on being named the |
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2009 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the |
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Texas Cultural Trust and extend to her sincere appreciation for her |
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unwavering commitment to the arts; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. O'Donnell as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |