Bill Text: VA HJR342 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Martha Ann Miller.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-06 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ342ER) [HJR342 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR342-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Martha Ann Miller, a passionate educator in Arlington who inspired countless students and was proud to have taught at one of the first desegregated public schools in the Commonwealth, died on August 16, 2017, at the age of 106; and
WHEREAS, a native of Evansville, Indiana, Martha Ann Miller grew up on her family's farm and learned the value of hard work and responsibility at a young age; her skill as a baker earned her a first prize award at the Indiana State Fair and a full scholarship to Purdue University; and
WHEREAS, Martha Ann Miller relocated to Arlington in 1937 and quickly became an advocate for better public schools; she was successful in helping to make the Arlington County School Board one of the first elected school boards in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, an enthusiastic lifelong learner, Martha Ann Miller taught math at Stratford Junior High School in Arlington for 21 years, inspiring students to achieve academic excellence and become responsible citizens of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, after the landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, Stratford Junior High School became the first public secondary school in Virginia to integrate in 1959, when the school enrolled four black students, two of whom joined Martha Ann Miller's seventh-grade class; and
WHEREAS, Martha Ann Miller was a longtime member of the American Association of University Women, and she enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a member of Clarendon United Methodist Church for 73 years; and
WHEREAS, in addition to playing an important role in the Civil Rights movement, Martha Ann Miller witnessed many seminal events of the 20th century, from two World Wars to the rise of a host of modern technological conveniences; in 2012, she published her autobiography The First Century: And Not Ready for the Rocking Chair Yet; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by her husband of 42 years, Malcolm, and two children, William and Winifred, Martha Ann Miller will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Malcolm and Meg, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Martha Ann Miller; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Martha Ann Miller as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.
