Bill Text: NY J00600 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Celebrating the life and accomplishments of H. Douglas Barclay, former New York State Senator and United States Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador, and distinguished attorney
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 12-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-04-20 - ADOPTED [J00600 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-J00600-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 600 BY: Senator O'MARA CELEBRATING the life and accomplishments of H. Douglas Barclay, former New York State Senator and United States Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador, distinguished attorney and devoted member of his community WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding citizens from this great Empire State who, through their selfless commitment and dedication, served to better the quality of life for those in their communities and forever have left a lasting impact on those lives they touched; H. Douglas "Doug" Barclay was one such individual; and WHEREAS, We lost one of New York State's finest statemen on March 14, 2021; this Legislative Body records the passing of Doug Barclay, and would be remiss to not bring acknowledgement to his incredible legacy of public service, philanthropy and civic duty to this great State; and WHEREAS, Born on July 5, 1932, in New York City, Doug was the only child of Dorothy (Moody) and Hugh Barclay; as a child he attended public school and was taught in a one-room schoolhouse before furthering his education at Yale University and beyond; and WHEREAS, Doug was not just an incredible student, striving to work hard and further himself academically, but he also chose to selflessly serve his country as an Army Artillery Lieutenant in Korea from 1955 to 1957 before attending Syracuse University College of Law, graduating in 1961; he purposefully chose Syracuse for his studies because he wanted to remain and serve in the region he loved the most; and WHEREAS, In 1959, Doug married the love of his life, Sara "Dee Dee" Seiter; he cherished the days when they lived in Skytop student housing, never losing sight of what was truly important to him, his family; and WHEREAS, Upon graduation, he joined the oldest law firm in Syracuse, Hiscock, Cowie, Bruce, Lee & Mawhinney, where he practiced law and was named Partner just seven years after joining the firm; later in 1984, that same firm would become Hiscock & Barclay, which is Barclay Damon LLP today; and WHEREAS, In addition to serving the Central New York Region in his legal career, Doug also served in the New York State Senate for 20 years and was responsible for over 500 pieces of legislation during his tenure; some of his notable accomplishments were establishing the Altmar fish hatchery, leading to increased tourism in the North Country as well as rebuilding the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center; he also brought forth changes to legislation that impacted the areas of criminal justice and court reform as well as economic development; and WHEREAS, As part of Doug's vision to make Syracuse a booming region with a thriving economy in New York State, he was able to help secure new leadership for Syracuse University and helped usher in Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw; together they worked as a dynamic team to restructure the University as a "student-centered" institution to attract top talent to the region; one of his major accomplishments on this front was the creation of the Syracuse University Research Park, where Doug worked in his true diplomatic fashion to secure $1.5 million in grant funds to make the University more competitive and attractive, setting it apart as one of the most prominent research law schools in New York State; and WHEREAS, In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated, and the United States Senate confirmed, Doug Barclay as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador where he served until 2006; as Ambassador, he was highly regarded by diplomats as an affable and capable foreign service officer who always looked after America's interest; and WHEREAS, Doug had a variety of business interests and served on many corporate boards, among them Syracuse Supply, as Chair of the Board from 1988 to 2003, and Key Bank as General Counsel and Secretary from 1971 to 1989; he also served on many University Boards including the Board of Syracuse University as Chair from 1992 to 1998, and served as President of the Syracuse Metropolitan Development Association from 1991 to 2003; and WHEREAS, While Doug's ambitious vision for his community and State took him far and wide, his heart belonged to the North Country region; his best days were spent with his family on their seventh-generation dairy farm in Pulaski, the place he loved the most; he never stopped advocating for his hometown and was instrumental in securing the funding for the Pulaski Fire Company, the Northern Oswego County Ambulance Service and the Pulaski Health Center; and WHEREAS, Doug Barclay will be missed by all who had the opportunity to know and love him; through it with him all is his wife of 61 years, Dee Dee Barclay; his five children, Katie (Jim) Coyne, David (Alexandra) Barclay, Dorothy Chynoweth, Susan Barclay and Will (Margaret) Barclay; and 10 beloved grandchildren, Douglas, Emily, Andrew and Kate Barclay, Thomas Coyne, Sara, William and Ben Chynoweth, Harry and George Barclay; and WHEREAS, Doug left such an impactful legacy on the community he loved and lived a beautiful life, one built on compassion, kindness, and respect for both the positions he held and for others; he will be deeply missed by all those who had the privilege and honor of knowing him, and truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to celebrate the life and accomplishments of H. Douglas Barclay, and to honor his lasting and impactful memory; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of H. Douglas Barclay.