Bill Text: TX HR137 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring Frances "Poppy" Northcutt for her professional and civic achievements.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2025-04-21 - Reported enrolled [HR137 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HR137-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 137 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Our communities draw immeasurable strength from | ||
| individuals such as Frances Northcutt of Houston, who has | ||
| distinguished herself in the course of her exemplary career; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A graduate of The University of Texas, "Poppy" | ||
| Northcutt joined TRW Systems, a NASA contractor, in 1965, and she | ||
| accepted an assignment to work as a computational aide at Johnson | ||
| Space Center; admired and respected for her skill, determination, | ||
| and professionalism, she eventually received a promotion to the | ||
| technical team and became the first woman to serve in an operational | ||
| support role at NASA's Mission Control Center; some of her most | ||
| notable career highlights include calculating the return-to-Earth | ||
| trajectories for the Apollo 8 mission and receiving the | ||
| Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of the team that rescued the | ||
| Apollo 13 astronauts; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Ms. Northcutt continued to work as an engineer while | ||
| studying law at the University of Houston, and she received her | ||
| juris doctor in 1981; over the years, she served as the first felony | ||
| prosecutor in the domestic violence unit at the Harris County | ||
| District Attorney's Office, and she clerked for a federal appellate | ||
| judge in Alabama; she also prosecuted and later defended numerous | ||
| criminal cases, and after entering private practice, she | ||
| specialized in criminal trial and appellate work; today, she is a | ||
| referral lawyer for Jane's Due Process, a nonprofit that provides | ||
| legal assistance to pregnant minors; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A dedicated advocate for women's rights, | ||
| Ms. Northcutt serves as president of the Houston Area and Texas | ||
| State chapters of the National Organization for Women, and she is a | ||
| former member of the organization's national board of directors; in | ||
| addition, she was the founding chair of the Harris County Women's | ||
| Political Caucus, and she was named the first women's advocate for | ||
| the City of Houston; she has also served as a special conference | ||
| consultant for the National Women's Conference; along the way, she | ||
| has volunteered at polling locations, and she currently serves as | ||
| an election judge; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A renowned trailblazer for women in engineering, | ||
| Poppy Northcutt made history through her contributions to the | ||
| Apollo program, and she has benefited her fellow citizens through a | ||
| lifetime of purposeful endeavor that continues to inspire all those | ||
| who know her; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor Frances "Poppy" Northcutt for her | ||
| professional and civic achievements and extend to her sincere best | ||
| wishes for continued success in all her endeavors; and, be it | ||
| further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Ms. Northcutt as an expression of high regard by the | ||
| Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Johnson | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 137 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 7, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
