82R10945 MGR-D
By: Woolley H.R. No. 692
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The citizens of Houston lost a spirited and
influential leader with the death of Nancy Gene Dale Palm on
February 15, 2011, at the age of 89; and
WHEREAS, Born on April 14, 1921, in Davidson County,
Tennessee, to Mary and Dillard Dale, Nancy Gene Dale was a
descendant of the five pioneer families who settled central
Tennessee and established Fort Nashborough; after losing her father
at an early age, she moved with her mother and five sisters to
Nashville and graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1942; and
WHEREAS, That same year, she married Dr. William Morrison
Palm on July 4, and the couple relocated to Houston in 1951; Mrs.
Palm soon thereafter became active in the local Republican Party
and was elected in 1967 as Harris County party chair, a position she
held for seven years; in addition, she played an instrumental role
in the development of the party at the statewide level; and
WHEREAS, Known for her passionate support of conservative
ideals and her effective organizational abilities, she championed
the principles of self-determination and achievement through
education and hard work; a redhead who frequently wore red, white,
and blue, she was affectionately dubbed "Napalm" by the press for
her forcefulness and the strong opinions that she readily shared;
this Texas trailblazer helped open doors for women in politics, and
she encouraged future senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to run for the
Texas Legislature in 1972; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Palm was a delegate at the Republican National
Convention in 1976 and received a vote to be the party's nominee for
vice president; she had the opportunity to vote for President
George H. W. Bush in 1988 and his son in 2004 as a member of the
Texas electoral college delegation; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan inspired many with her dynamic
leadership in the party whose values she fully embraced, and she
will long be remembered with deep admiration for her contributions
to her country and her community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Nancy Gene Dale Palm
and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her
sister, Katherine Bishop Dale Potts, and her husband, J. Ivan
Potts; to her nephew, Tom DeLong; and to her other relatives and
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Nancy Gene
Dale Palm.