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