SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 481
 
 
  In Memory
  of
  Janice Evelyn Christensen May
 
         WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
  commemorates the life of Janice Evelyn Christensen May, who died
  July 10, 2016, at the age of 93; and
 
         WHEREAS, Janice May was born May 29, 1923, in Walnut Grove,
  Minnesota, to Arnold Christensen and Bernice Schauer Christensen;
  she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in music from the
  University of Minnesota and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa before
  continuing her studies and earning master's and doctoral degrees in
  political science; and
 
         WHEREAS, She joined the faculty at The University of Texas
  at Austin in 1965 and enjoyed a long and illustrious career as an
  educator and mentor in the Government Department; she served as
  the department's pre-law advisor and internship coordinator and
  was a charter member of the Southwest Association of PreLaw
  Advisors; and
 
         WHEREAS, Dr. May was recognized as the foremost expert on
  the sprawling, 93,000-word Texas Constitution; several generations
  of legislators, lobbyists, and scholars sought her out for her
  expertise in the ways the document has evolved over time and its
  interpretations by the state's courts; and
 
         WHEREAS, She was the author of The Texas State Constitution:
  A Reference Guide, the coauthor of two editions of a Texas
  government textbook, and the author or coauthor of five other books
  and 50 journal articles, book chapters, and reference articles, and
  she was in high demand as a speaker for conferences and as a
  consultant for the governing bodies of other states involved in
  amending their constitutions; and
 
         WHEREAS, Dr. May was active in a number of professional and
  civic organizations, notably the League of Women Voters, for
  which she served on the board of the national organization and as
  president of the local chapter; she was also a longtime member of
  the American Association of University Women and an election
  observer for ABC News; and
 
         WHEREAS, She married the late Francis Barnes May in 1956,
  and the couple enjoyed more than 50 years of marriage together;
  they took great pleasure in classical music and the opera and
  traveled the world to such destinations as France, the Soviet
  Union, and China; and
 
         WHEREAS, A woman of courage, strength, and compassion, she
  gave generously to others, and her wisdom, her perseverance, and
  her enthusiasm for scholarship and learning will long be remembered
  by all those whose lives she touched; now, therefore, be it
 
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
  Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
  family of Janice Evelyn Christensen May; and, be it further
 
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
  Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
  memory of Janice Evelyn Christensen May.
 
  Watson
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on March 22, 2017, by a
    rising vote.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate