24 LC 112 2202
House Resolution 1219
By: Representatives McClain of the 109
th
, Buckner of the 137
th
, Greene of the 154
th
, Oliver
of the 82
nd
, and Hugley of the 141
st
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the accomplishments of Natalie "Tally" Sweat; and for other purposes.
1
WHEREAS, Natalie "Tally" Sweat was born on September 7, 1935, in Cuthbert, Georgia;2
and 3
WHEREAS, the Official Butterfly of Georgia is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, in part4
because of the efforts of Tally; and 5
WHEREAS, the Garden Club of Georgia is proud of Tally for her long term service to our6
community, including her work with Park Pride in Atlanta and the Olmstead Linear Park7
Alliance, her legislative work with the Garden Club of Georgia, her active membership in8
many garden clubs in Dogwood and Redbud District, and her environmental work with the9
Georgia Water Coalition; and10
WHEREAS, in 1989, Tally was the founding board president of Park Pride, a nonprofit11
organization working with Atlanta communities to improve greenspaces and contribute to12
community health and well-being; and13
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WHEREAS, in 1995, Tally joined forces with other community leaders and nonprofit
14
organizations to develop a strategy to stabilize and rehabilitate the Olmsted Linear Park in15
Druid Hills. This led to the establishment of the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance (OLPA) in16
1997, which to this day has successfully renovated and managed the 45 acres of beautiful17
greenspace and old growth forests; and18
WHEREAS, from 2011 to 2024, Tally served as the legislative chair for the Garden Club of19
Georgia and spoke out often for Georgia's amazing wilderness areas, wildlife, and plants. She20
also served in many other positions with garden clubs in Stone Mountain and Druid Hills;21
and22
WHEREAS, since 2013, Tally has served on the Georgia Water Coalition's leadership23
committee, where she has helped to chair events and guide the coalition of more than 25024
organizations to many successes for Georgia's waterways; and25
WHEREAS, Tally met Dan Sweat when they both worked at The Atlanta26
Journal-Constitution. They married in 1956, and Tally was an indomitable partner to Dan27
as he served as a executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, president of Central28
Atlanta Progress, and more; and29
WHEREAS, in 2020, Central Atlanta Progress honored Tally for her decades of community30
service with the prestigious "Dan Sweat Award," renaming the award to the "Dan & Tally31
Sweat Award." This award annually honors those individuals who have done much to make32
downtown Atlanta a better place and have exhibited traits of "exceptional leadership, forward33
thinking public service, and humility of spirit"; and34
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WHEREAS, Tally is very proud of her birthplace, the home of noted educator Fletcher
35
Henderson Sr. and Fletcher Henderson Jr., the composer who wrote "Tuxedo Junction,"36
accompanied Bessie Smith on record, and invented "swing," without which "it don't mean37
a thing."38
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that39
the members of this body honor Natalie "Tally" Sweat for her tireless devotion to public40
service and extend best wishes for continued success.41
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized42
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to43
Natalie "Tally" Sweat.44
H. R. 1219
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