Bill Text: VA SJR260 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Helen Marie Taylor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2010-03-14 - Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ260ER) [SJR260 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2010-SJR260-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, Helen Marie Taylor, an admired citizen, community benefactor, and conservationist, is recognized in 2010 for her outstanding service to the Commonwealth and her fellow citizens; and WHEREAS, a native of Waco, Texas, Helen Marie Taylor was born on November 17, 1923, the daughter of Marie Chumley and Howell Lewis Taylor, attended Baylor University, graduated with honors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and served as the entertainment director for the United States 7th Army during World War II; and WHEREAS, after the war, Helen Marie Taylor returned to New York to act on the stage; she was nominated by her peers and received a Best Young Actress Award for her exceptional portrayal of Ophelia in Hamlet, and she later taught Shakespearean drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; and WHEREAS, throughout her career, Helen Marie Taylor has been devoted to the performing arts and was nominated by her peers and received two Best Director Awards, and she has been active in the arts as a producer, director, actress, teacher, and lecturer; and WHEREAS, in 1964, Helen Marie Taylor married her sixth cousin, Jaquelin E. Taylor, and the couple lovingly restored the Taylor family ancestral home, Bloomsbury, which was built in 1722 and is where the maternal grandparents of two presidents, James Madison and Zachary Taylor, lived; and WHEREAS, Helen Marie Taylor also has resided on Monument Avenue in Richmond for over 40 years; and in 1968, impassioned with deep convictions to preserve and protect historic places, she single-handedly safeguarded Monument Avenue's original surface from destruction by unwaveringly standing in front of city workers and a paving machine ready to pave over the road's original asphalt blocks; and WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan named Helen Marie Taylor as the United States delegate to the United States Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization meeting in Paris in 1983 and as a United States representative to the United Nations in 1986; and WHEREAS, a longtime patron and supporter of the arts, Helen Marie Taylor was a founder and member of the Shakespeare Theatre of Stratford in Connecticut, Theatre Louisville, Dallas Theatre Center, and the Association of Producing Artists in New York; and WHEREAS, for 50 years, Helen Marie Taylor has served on the board of governors of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and served for a time as chair of the American Auditions Committee; and WHEREAS, over the years, Helen Marie Taylor has generously volunteered her time and expertise to many civic organizations, including as a council member for the National Endowment for the Humanities, as president for more than 25 years of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation, and as founder and president of the James Madison Museum; and WHEREAS, Helen Marie Taylor has received many awards and accolades over the years for her many contributions to her community, including the 1993 Gold Medal for Good Citizenship by the Sons of the American Revolution; and WHEREAS, on November 24, 2009, Helen Marie Taylor organized, on behalf of the Taylor Family Association and the James Madison Museum, a festive event at Taylor Park in Orange to celebrate the 225th anniversary of Zachary Taylor's birthday and the release of the United States Mint's Presidential $1 coin struck in his honor—a ceremony to launch the coin was held as part of the Zachary Taylor Appreciation Day sponsored by the James Madison Museum; and WHEREAS, at the age of 86, Helen Marie Taylor enjoys life and has many interests, including preservation, politics, and horses; she is very attached to her beautiful Egyptian Arabians: six stallions, six geldings, and 11 mares, which are stabled in her unique barn that was built from a Sears mail-order kit and dubbed "the crown jewel of the Sears barns"; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend and congratulate Helen Marie Taylor for her outstanding service to the Commonwealth and her fellow citizens; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Helen Marie Taylor as an expression of the General Assembly's appreciation of her many accomplishments and best wishes for success in all her future endeavors. |
