Georgia-2011-HR1524-Introduced

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the first college in the world to grant degrees to women, 84 years before women in America were allowed to vote; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College was founded through the efforts of a group of Macon citizens and the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church as evidence of their concern for the education of women; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College has always been a women's college and has remained in continuous existence even through wartime; and

WHEREAS, the first secret societies for women, the Adelphean Society (Alpha Delta Pi) in 1851 and Philomathean Society (Phi Mu) in 1852, were founded at Wesleyan College; and

WHEREAS, the world's first Alumnae Association was founded at Wesleyan College on July 11, 1859; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College established America's first professorship in English literature in 1844, held by the Reverend Josiah Fletcher Andrew; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College held the first formal inauguration of a college president in Georgia, Dr. Dice Robins Anderson in 1932; and

WHEREAS, the first woman in Georgia to receive the Doctor of Medicine degree was Mary McKay, Class of 1878; and

WHEREAS, the first woman to argue a case before the Georgia Court of Appeals or the Georgia Supreme Court and the first woman to hold an elective office in the State of Georgia was Viola Ross Napier, Class of 1901; and

WHEREAS, the first woman in Georgia to be issued a commercial pilot's license was Hazel Jane Raines, Class of 1936; and

WHEREAS, the first woman chair of the Press Institute of the Georgia Press Association was Adelaide Wallace Ponder, Class of 1946; and

WHEREAS, the first Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration was awarded to Wesleyan College in November 2000 for "Aunt Maggie's Kitchen Table" resource center; and

WHEREAS, Neva Langley Fickling, Georgia's first and only Miss America (1953), is a Wesleyanne, Class of 1955; and

WHEREAS, the first woman to be ordained Bishop of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United States Methodist Conference (1996) was Charlene Payne Kammerer, Class of 1970; and

WHEREAS, the first woman president of the Florida Senate (1996) and first woman Lieutenant Governor of the State of Florida (2003) was Antoinette "Toni" Jennings, Class of 1971; and

WHEREAS, Janice A. Mays, Class of 1973, was the first woman staff director for the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the first woman to serve in the roles of Democratic Chief Counsel and Chief Tax Counsel; and

WHEREAS, in 1976 the Rotary Club of Macon, in conjunction with Wesleyan College, initiated the first Rotary International Intern Program; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College's newly renovated Taylor Hall is the college's first LEED-certified green building and the first LEED-certified project in Macon, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College is recognized today as one of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges and is consistently recognized for academic excellence, affordability, diversity, service learning, and community leadership, as well as its unique international student population; and

WHEREAS, 90 percent of Wesleyan's full-time faculty members hold the terminal degree in their respective disciplines; and

WHEREAS, Wesleyan College is not only celebrating its 175th year of educating women, but is also preparing to educate women for the next 175 years and beyond.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend Wesleyan College not only for its prestigious legacy of advancing women, but also for its commitment to remain first for women, and commend the college for realizing its mission to be a pioneer for women's education with thousands of alumnae having served their communities, churches, and professions, and anchored in tradition and guided by an innovative spirit, for preparing a new generation of leaders who will ensure a strong and vibrant future for the State of Georgia, and invite President Ruth Knox to be recognized by the House of Representatives at a date and time designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Wesleyan College.