SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 403
In Memory
of
Emma Jackson Long
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
citizens of Austin in mourning the loss of civic icon Emma
Jackson Long, who died January 16, 2011, at the age of 98; and
WHEREAS, Emma Long was born February 29, 1912, in the Texas
Panhandle town of Lefors; she graduated with honors from high
school in Hereford before going on to earn a degree from The
University of Texas, where she met and married her husband, the
late Stuart Long; and
WHEREAS, Following World War II, she and her husband founded
the Long News Service at the Texas Capitol, which provided news
coverage to numerous state and national publications, including
the New York Times, Newsweek, and Time; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Long broke the gender barrier in Austin
politics with her election to the city council in 1948; she was an
unabashed liberal who fought for integration and for the rights
of working people; and
WHEREAS, As a councilmember, Mrs. Long pushed for an
overhaul of the city charter and sought salary increases for
police and firefighters; she helped to integrate Lions Municipal
Golf Course and the city's main library in the 1950s and worked to
prohibit racial discrimination in housing; and
WHEREAS, She and her husband were longtime friends and
supporters of President Lyndon Johnson, and she served as the
United States representative to the World Population Commission
in Geneva at his request; she was a delegate to numerous state and
national Democratic Party conventions and served as a mentor to
aspiring politicians; and
WHEREAS, Soft-spoken but tenacious, she fought tirelessly
for the equal treatment of all, and her legacy of compassion and
hard work was acknowledged when City Park was renamed Emma Long
Metropolitan Park in her honor; and
WHEREAS, A woman of courage, strength, and unbridled
energy, she gave unselfishly to the city she loved, and her
wisdom, her commitment to equal rights for everyone, and her
enthusiasm for living each day to the fullest will not be
forgotten by those who knew her; and
WHEREAS, She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother,
and she leaves behind memories that will be treasured forever by
her family and countless friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family and friends of Emma Jackson Long; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of Emma Long.
Watson
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 28, 2011,
by a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate