H.R. No. 1069
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Lubbock lost an admired philanthropist
and patron of the arts with the death of Louise Hopkins Underwood on
March 7, 2017, at the age of 97; and
WHEREAS, Born in Houston on May 2, 1919, the former Louise
Hopkins was the daughter of Amy and Edwin Hopkins; her family moved
to Bronxville, New York, when she was a month old and returned to
Dallas in 1931; while a student at The University of Texas at
Austin, she met her future husband, Harris Underwood; they married
in October 1941, and during his service in World War II,
Mrs. Underwood moved to Lubbock; the couple became the proud
parents of six children, Jane, Gwynne, Harris, Amy, David, and
Mary, and she ensured that as they were growing up, they were
exposed to theater, music, and art; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Underwood began volunteering in the community
while her children were young, becoming a founding member of the
boards of the Sherick Memorial Home and the ACTeens theater program
for troubled youth; in addition, she and her husband funded the
Bio-Cybernetics Lab at the Children's Clinic at the Texas Tech
University medical school, and they were instrumental in the
creation of the pediatric orthopaedic chair at the TTU Health
Sciences Center Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and
Rehabilitation; and
WHEREAS, Opening their home to benefit the Lubbock Symphony
Orchestra, Texas Tech, and many other worthy organizations and
institutions, the Underwoods hosted multiple musicales and
fund-raisers; they became strong supporters of TTU College of
Architecture initiatives, and in the mid-1990s, Mrs. Underwood
became deeply involved in every aspect of the redevelopment of a
blighted industrial area as the Lubbock Regional Arts Center; her
tireless efforts furthered its growth as a cultural jewel,
educational facility, community center, and stimulus for the local
economy, and she played a key role in the establishment of live-work
spaces for artists in the Charles Adams Studio Project; in
addition, she was a founding member of the Texas Alliance for
Education and the Arts and of the Lubbock Cultural Arts Commission,
and for more than a half century, she served as a volunteer and
trustee for the Museum of Texas Tech University; she also gave
generously of her time and talents in behalf of the TTU College of
Visual and Performing Arts, Ballet Lubbock, three local theater
groups, and other organizations; along the way, she made a positive
impact on the careers of many individual artists; and
WHEREAS, In 2004, an anonymous benefactor donated a
significant sum to the arts center with the stipulation that it be
renamed the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts;
Mrs. Underwood was the recipient of numerous other accolades as
well, among them the Dynamic Force award from the Lubbock Arts
Alliance, the Champion of the Arts award from the Texas Alliance for
Education and the Arts, and the Mahon Award for Extraordinary
Public Service from the Lubbock Chapter of the Association for
Women in Communications; in 2008, she was inducted into the Texas
Women's Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Louise Hopkins Underwood enriched the lives of
innumerable people through her tremendous efforts to increase
access to the arts and to support the development of a vibrant arts
community, and those who were privileged to share in her love and
friendship will forever remember the grace, enthusiasm, and joyous
spirit that she brought to every endeavor she undertook; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Louise Hopkins
Underwood and extend deepest condolences to all who mourn her
passing; 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 Louise
Hopkins Underwood.
Frullo
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1069 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 6, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House