Bill Text: NY J02567 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Joan Kaplan Davidson, a preservationist and philanthropist who devoted her life to the betterment of New York State and the Hudson River Valley

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-29 - ADOPTED [J02567 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J02567-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2567

BY: Senator HINCHEY

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Joan  Kaplan Davidson, a
        preservationist and philanthropist who  devoted  her
        life  to  the  betterment  of New York State and the
        Hudson River Valley

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York  whose  lifework  and  civic  endeavor
served  to  enhance  the  quality  of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS,  Joan  Kaplan  Davidson  of  Germantown,  New  York,  whose
charitable   work   of   preserving   and  restoring  New  York  State's
architecture, historic buildings, and  natural  resources  improved  the
quality of life for all New Yorkers, died on Friday, August 11, 2023, at
the age of 96; and

  WHEREAS, Born in New York City on May 26, 1927, Joan Kaplan Davidson
was a tireless advocate for buildings that are important to the cultural
history  of  New York and an exemplary public servant of New York State,
serving as both the Chairwoman for the Council on the Arts and  the  New
York State Parks Commissioner; and

  WHEREAS,  Joan  Kaplan  Davidson  earned  a  bachelor's  degree from
Cornell University and a postgraduate degree in education from the  Bank
Street  School  and began her public service career, which continued for
many years, in Washington, D.C., where she worked on the  staff  of  the
Senate  Armed  Services  Preparedness  Committee  under  Senate Majority
Leader Lyndon B. Johnson; and

  WHEREAS, Joan Kaplan  Davidson  managed  the  creation  of  Westbeth
Artists  Housing  in lower Manhattan, which would become a model for the
rehabilitation  of  industrial  buildings,  and  served  as  the   first
President; and

  WHEREAS, From 1977 to 1993, Joan Kaplan Davidson served as President
of  the  J.M. Kaplan Fund and established her legacy as a philanthropist
and preservationist through actions,  such  as  the  fight  to  preserve
Broadway theaters, the restoration of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, and
the  groundwork  and  provision  of  much  of the funding for the Gracie
Mansion Conservancy which renovated and  preserved  the  New  York  City
Mayor's residence; and

  WHEREAS,   A   lifelong   conservationist,   Joan   Kaplan  Davidson
established programs to support  the  protection  of  New  York  State's
natural resources and the preservation of rural communities, such as the
Rural  New York Grant Program and the Industrial Heritage Reuse Project,
and was especially active in the Hudson Valley where she resided; and

  WHEREAS, In 1995,  Joan  Kaplan  Davidson  founded  Furthermore,  an
organization  with  a  mission  to provide grants for the publication of
nonfiction books related to the  arts,  history,  and  the  natural  and
man-made environment, and has assisted with the publication of more than
1,400 books, utilizing more than $8 million in grants; and


  WHEREAS,  In  1996,  Joan  Kaplan  Davidson  was one of the founding
members of Historic Hudson, a  preservation  organization  dedicated  to
protecting  the  quality  of  life  and  the  cultural and architectural
heritage of the city of Hudson; and

  WHEREAS, Under Joan  Kaplan  Davidson's  stewardship,  her  family's
19th-century  estate on the Hudson River, known as "Midwood," became the
epicenter of cultural, social, and political discourse and  activism  in
the region; hosting gatherings, large and small, throughout the year was
a personal contribution to her community and beyond; and

  WHEREAS,  In  her  work  to  protect the Hudson River and the Hudson
River Valley, Joan Kaplan Davidson and the  J.M.  Kaplan  Fund  provided
grants  to  a  myriad  of  important organizations, including Adirondack
Experience,  Adirondack  Wild,  Hudson  Hall,  Scenic  Hudson,  Historic
Hudson,  the  Fisher  Center  at  Bard College, the Thomas Cole Historic
House, the Shaker Museum and Library, and the Columbia Land Conservancy;
and

  WHEREAS, Joan  Kaplan  Davidson  was  personally  committed  to  the
protection  of  the  Hudson  River and the Hudson River Valley and would
often be found at the center of efforts to clean the river, preserve its
scenic banks, and protect endangered species of fish; and

  WHEREAS, Joan Kaplan Davidson is  survived  by  her  children,  John
Matthew, G. Bradford, Peter W., and Betsy; her twelve grandchildren; and
her five great-grandchildren; and

  WHEREAS,  Imbued  with  generational  foresight  and  a deep well of
compassion, Joan Kaplan Davidson leaves behind a legacy, which will long
endure the passage of time and remain enshrined for generations, in  the
buildings  and  natural  landscape that her philanthropy helped to renew
and preserve; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Joan  Kaplan  Davidson and to express its deepest
condolences to her family and friends; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Joan Kaplan Davidson.