SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 26
In Memory
of
Ruth Carter Stevenson
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of noted philanthropist and arts patron
Ruth Carter Stevenson, who died January 6, 2013, at the age of 89;
and
WHEREAS, Ruth Carter was born October 19, 1923, the
daughter of oilman and Fort Worth Star-Telegram publisher Amon
Carter, Sr.; she grew up in Fort Worth, where her childhood
remembrances included visits from such luminaries as President
Franklin Roosevelt, Will Rogers, and Charles Lindbergh; she
attended Arlington Heights High School before entering Sarah
Lawrence College, where she majored in chemistry and studied art
history; and
WHEREAS, After the death of her father in 1955, the
responsibility of carrying out his wishes to create a museum to
house his extensive art collection fell to Ruth; she collaborated
with famed architect Philip Johnson to create the Amon Carter
Museum of American Art, which opened in 1961 and has since become
one of the foremost museums in the country; and
WHEREAS, Under her leadership, the museum expanded its
focus beyond the western art favored by her father and acquired a
collection considered among the finest in the world; among the
exhibits that helped give rise to the museum's prominence was a
1966 retrospective of the work of Georgia O'Keeffe; the two women
began a close friendship, which lasted until the artist's death
in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Ruth Carter Stevenson became a
valued civic leader in the Fort Worth community; she founded the
Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County and served on the
board of the Fort Worth City Art Commission, and she was a member
of The University of Texas Board of Regents; she received the
International Award of Excellence in Conservation from the
Botanical Research Institute of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Ruth Carter Stevenson was a woman of great vision,
elegance, and determination whose leadership and passion for art
have enriched the Fort Worth community and will serve as an
inspiration for generations to come; and
WHEREAS, She was devoted to her family, and she leaves
behind memories that will be treasured forever by all who were
privileged to share in her life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of Ruth Carter Stevenson; 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 Ruth Carter Stevenson.
Davis
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 23, 2013, by
a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate