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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 129
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In Memory |
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of |
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Louise Hilma Ballerstedt Raggio |
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins citizens |
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across the state in mourning the loss of Louise Hilma Ballerstedt |
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Raggio, who died January 23, 2011, at the age of 91; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Austin in 1919, Louise Ballerstedt |
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graduated from Austin High School, valedictorian of her class, in |
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1935; she attended The University of Texas at Austin and |
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graduated magna cum laude in 1939; and |
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WHEREAS, While on a Rockefeller fellowship at American |
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University in Washington in 1941, she met and married Grier |
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Raggio, a lawyer, who died in 1988; after World War II, she |
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attended night school in Dallas and earned her law degree; and |
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WHEREAS, Louise Raggio went on to forge a |
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precedent-setting legal career by becoming the first female |
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assistant district attorney in Dallas County; she also made |
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history as the first woman to prosecute a criminal case in the |
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county and by winning a criminal case with an all-woman jury; and |
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WHEREAS, After joining her husband in private practice, |
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she quickly became known for her powerful voice on behalf of |
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women's rights and made her mark in Texas legal history by |
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becoming the principal force behind the Marital Property Act of |
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1967; the law eliminated an archaic Texas code that legally |
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discriminated against Texas women; and |
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WHEREAS, A nationally known figure and a pioneer who fought |
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against numerous outdated conventions, she was also the author of |
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a book, Texas Tornado, and was honored in 1995 by the American Bar |
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Association's Commission on Women in the Profession with its |
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Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Louise Raggio was an exceptionally gifted woman |
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whose vision and strong will opened doors for the women of Texas; |
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she was also a woman of high standards who was dedicated to her |
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family and friends and who was deeply loved by all who knew her; and |
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WHEREAS, An exemplary lady, she gave unselfishly of her |
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time to others and made immeasurable and lasting contributions to |
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her community and state, and she leaves behind memories that will |
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be treasured forever by all who had the good fortune of sharing in |
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her life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd |
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Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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family of Louise Hilma Ballerstedt Raggio; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of Louise Raggio. |
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West |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on January 31, 2011, by |
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a rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |