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