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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Our communities draw immeasurable strength from |
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individuals such as Frances Northcutt of Houston, who has |
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distinguished herself in the course of her exemplary career; and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of The University of Texas, "Poppy" |
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Northcutt joined TRW Systems, a NASA contractor, in 1965, and she |
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accepted an assignment to work as a computational aide at Johnson |
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Space Center; admired and respected for her skill, determination, |
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and professionalism, she eventually received a promotion to the |
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technical team and became the first woman to serve in an operational |
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support role at NASA's Mission Control Center; some of her most |
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notable career highlights include calculating the return-to-Earth |
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trajectories for the Apollo 8 mission and receiving the |
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Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of the team that rescued the |
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Apollo 13 astronauts; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Northcutt continued to work as an engineer while |
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studying law at the University of Houston, and she received her |
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juris doctor in 1981; over the years, she served as the first felony |
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prosecutor in the domestic violence unit at the Harris County |
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District Attorney's Office, and she clerked for a federal appellate |
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judge in Alabama; she also prosecuted and later defended numerous |
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criminal cases, and after entering private practice, she |
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specialized in criminal trial and appellate work; today, she is a |
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referral lawyer for Jane's Due Process, a nonprofit that provides |
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legal assistance to pregnant minors; and |
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WHEREAS, A dedicated advocate for women's rights, |
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Ms. Northcutt serves as president of the Houston Area and Texas |
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State chapters of the National Organization for Women, and she is a |
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former member of the organization's national board of directors; in |
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addition, she was the founding chair of the Harris County Women's |
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Political Caucus, and she was named the first women's advocate for |
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the City of Houston; she has also served as a special conference |
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consultant for the National Women's Conference; along the way, she |
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has volunteered at polling locations, and she currently serves as |
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an election judge; and |
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WHEREAS, A renowned trailblazer for women in engineering, |
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Poppy Northcutt made history through her contributions to the |
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Apollo program, and she has benefited her fellow citizens through a |
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lifetime of purposeful endeavor that continues to inspire all those |
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who know her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Frances "Poppy" Northcutt for her |
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professional and civic achievements and extend to her sincere best |
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wishes for continued success in all her endeavors; 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 Ms. Northcutt as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |