|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, Margaret McDermott of Dallas has been named the 2015 |
|
Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the Texas |
|
Cultural Trust; and |
|
WHEREAS, The Texas Medal of Arts program pays tribute to |
|
residents of the Lone Star State who have significantly benefited a |
|
variety of artistic disciplines in the state, either through |
|
personal achievement or through benevolent support; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mrs. McDermott has been a philanthropist and a |
|
pillar of her community for more than six decades; she and her |
|
husband, Texas Instruments cofounder Eugene McDermott, established |
|
the Eugene McDermott Foundation in 1955, and through the years, the |
|
initiative has provided millions of dollars in behalf of worthwhile |
|
civic, cultural, and educational endeavors and has assisted such |
|
notable institutions as The University of Texas at Dallas, the UT |
|
Health Science Center, the University of Dallas, the Dallas Public |
|
Library System, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Museum of |
|
Art, and the Dallas County Community College District; and |
|
WHEREAS, A champion of accessible, high-quality education, |
|
Mrs. McDermott has been an invaluable advocate of the DCCCD since |
|
its inception in 1965, serving the system as the inaugural vice |
|
chair of the board of trustees and playing an instrumental part in |
|
the planning of the district's seven colleges; moreover, she |
|
generously donated funds for the installation of the Founders' |
|
Foyer at the DCCCD headquarters and for the construction of William |
|
P. Clements Jr. University Hospital at the UT Southwestern Medical |
|
Center; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mrs. McDermott's tireless efforts have been |
|
recognized with a number of prestigious accolades, including the |
|
Carolyn Helman Lichtenberg Crest Award from the Pi Beta Phi |
|
Fraternity for Women and the Santa Rita Award, the highest honor |
|
bestowed by the UT Board of Regents; in addition, she has been named |
|
an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, and the |
|
City of Dallas honored her with the dedication of the Margaret |
|
McDermott Bridge, for which she retained world-renowned Spanish |
|
architect Santiago Calatrava to design a beautiful addition to the |
|
city's landscape; and |
|
WHEREAS, Margaret McDermott has long played a pivotal role in |
|
the arts community and in arts education in Texas, and her |
|
immeasurable contributions and selfless dedication have increased |
|
opportunities for others and enriched countless lives; now, |
|
therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Margaret McDermott on her |
|
selection as the 2015 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. McDermott as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives. |