SLS 20RS-939 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 22
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences on the death of Melinda Mangham.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of Melinda Waller Mangham, educator.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the members of the
5 Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana have learned of the passing of Melinda Waller
6 Mangham on April 30, 2020, at age seventy-nine; and
7 WHEREAS, Mrs. Mangham was an impactful educator extraordinaire, a staunch
8 community activist, and a woman on a mission who dedicated every day to impassioned
9 advocacy for education, teachers, and her beloved students; and
10 WHEREAS, she taught in public and private schools across Louisiana including Lee
11 High School, Episcopal High School, Airline High School, Glen Oaks High School, Valley
12 Park Middle School, St. James Episcopal, St. Mark's Episcopal, Lafayette High School, and
13 Ascension Episcopal; and
14 WHEREAS, whether you knew her as Melinda, "Mrs. M", Mrs. Mangham,
15 Mangham, or Millie, she considered so many close friends as family; and
16 WHEREAS, her degrees, professional awards, and affiliations are numerous and
17 impressive; Mrs. Mangham was named a White House Distinguished Teacher by two
18 presidents, George H. Bush and, her favorite, William Jefferson Clinton; she was also named
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SLS 20RS-939 ORIGINAL
1 an Outstanding Educator by the University of Miami, Texas A&M, MIT, and the Illinois
2 Institute of Technology; and she was recognized as a Coca-Cola Educator of Distinction; and
3 WHEREAS, Governor John Bel Edwards appointed her to the Louisiana
4 Commission on College and Career Readiness; and
5 WHEREAS, a proud alumnus of LSU, she served on the Advisory Counsel of LSU's
6 Ogden Honors College and on the Executive Board of the Tiger Athletic Foundation; she
7 also served on the University of Louisiana - Lafayette Center for Gifted Education Advisory
8 Board; and
9 WHEREAS, Melinda was preceded in death by her husband, Michael Ray "Mickey"
10 Mangham; her sister-in-law, Molly Mangham Douglass; her parents, Morgan Howard
11 Waller and Elizabeth Bowen Waller; and her in-laws, Francis Ray Mangham and Louise
12 Ratliff Mangham; and
13 WHEREAS, she is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Morgan "Liz" Mangham; her
14 brother, The Reverend Stephen Jay Waller; her brother-in-law, George Douglass; her nieces,
15 Molly Hadden and husband, Corky; Melissa Steiner and husband, Jerry; Michelle Tyler and
16 husband, Doug; several great nieces and nephews; and her dear friend and caregiver, Annie
17 Belle Shelvin; and
18 WHEREAS, Melinda Mangham was a larger than life educator who championed
19 students and teachers with undeniable passion for decades; she brought passion to everything
20 she did and approached every task with devotion, fierce leadership, and enthusiasm; and
21 WHEREAS, Mrs. Mangham exemplified all that is good about Louisiana through
22 her devotion to family and friends and her excellence in the vital field of education; and
23 WHEREAS, with her death, Louisiana has lost one of her finest citizens, a woman
24 who was loved by all whose lives she touched, who leaves behind a rich and unique legacy,
25 and who is profoundly missed; and
26 WHEREAS, although the death of Melinda Waller Mangham has left a tremendous
27 void in her community, her memory shall live on forever in the minds and hearts of all who
28 knew and loved her.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
30 does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Melinda Waller
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1 Mangham; does hereby recognize and record for posterity her singular accomplishments and
2 contributions; and does hereby extend enduring appreciation for the pride, honor, and joy
3 that this extraordinary woman and educator will forever bring to her family and friends, her
4 students and colleagues, and the state of Louisiana.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
6 family of Melinda Waller Mangham.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 22 Original 2020 Regular Session Boudreaux
Expresses condolences upon the death of Melinda Waller Mangham, educator.
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