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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Through their participation in the Pioneers And |
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Leaders of the State of Texas Junior Legislator Program, young |
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Texans gain leadership experience and a true sense of Texas |
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history; the program, which encourages young people to follow their |
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dreams and strive for excellence, offers Texas students the |
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opportunity to participate in the legislative process by proposing, |
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supporting the introduction of, and following the progress of |
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legislation such as this concurrent resolution honoring the life |
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and achievements of a great Texan, Mary Kay Ash, and designating May |
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12, 2009, as Mary Kay Ash Day in the State of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Kay Ash, founder of the Dallas-based, |
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internationally known cosmetics firm that bears her name, became |
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one of the most successful and respected American business leaders |
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of the 20th century; and |
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WHEREAS, She was born on May 12, 1918, in Hot Wells, Texas, |
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and grew up in Houston; Mrs. Ash enjoyed a successful career in |
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direct sales before retiring in 1963; following her retirement, she |
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embarked on a book-writing project designed to help women survive |
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in the male-dominated business world; upon reviewing her early |
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notes for the book, she realized that she had inadvertently created |
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a marketing plan for a successful "dream company"; and |
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WHEREAS, On Friday, September 13, 1963, with her life savings |
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of $5,000 and with the help of her 20-year-old son Richard Rogers, |
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she launched Mary Kay Cosmetics; within two years, the company's |
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wholesale sales had reached almost $1 million; in 2006, the company |
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recorded $2.25 billion in wholesale sales and had an independent |
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sales force of more than 1.7 million beauty consultants in over 30 |
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markets around the world; and |
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WHEREAS, Powerfully influenced by her mother's struggle to |
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support her family and by her own experience of gender |
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discrimination, Mary Kay Ash intended for her company to provide |
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women with unlimited opportunity for personal and financial |
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success, and since its founding, Mary Kay Cosmetics has continued |
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to reflect that goal; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Mrs. Ash showed others how to |
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give; a generous and strong woman, she believed in putting God |
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first, and she believed that with praise and encouragement, anyone |
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could succeed; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1996, Mrs. Ash established the Mary Kay Ash |
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Charitable Foundation for the purpose of funding research on the |
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leading cancers affecting women; today the foundation also supports |
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efforts to prevent violence against women and to help women who have |
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been victims of abuse; every October, the foundation observes |
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National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by awarding grants to |
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deserving women's shelters across the country; in 2008, the |
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foundation awarded $20,000 grants to more than 150 shelters; and |
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WHEREAS, A phenomenally talented lady who led by example, |
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Mrs. Ash authored an autobiography, a motivational book, and a |
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volume about management, all of which became best-sellers; and |
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WHEREAS, The recipient of myriad accolades, Mary Kay Ash was |
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named the Most Outstanding Woman in Business in the 20th Century by |
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Lifetime Television and was chosen as one of the 25 most influential |
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business leaders of the last 25 years by PBS and the Wharton School |
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of the University of Pennsylvania in 2004; she was elected to the |
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Business Hall of Fame by Fortune magazine and was designated a |
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Horatio Alger Distinguished American Citizen; Mary Kay Cosmetics |
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has been ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 best companies |
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to work for in America and as one of the 10 best companies for women; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Kay Ash passed away on November 22, 2001, |
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having achieved the pinnacle of success and having established a |
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legacy that will continue to provide opportunity and hope for women |
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for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate May 12, 2009, as Mary Kay Ash Day in the State of |
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Texas. |