SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 481
In Memory
of
Janice Evelyn Christensen May
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of Janice Evelyn Christensen May, who died
July 10, 2016, at the age of 93; and
WHEREAS, Janice May was born May 29, 1923, in Walnut Grove,
Minnesota, to Arnold Christensen and Bernice Schauer Christensen;
she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in music from the
University of Minnesota and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa before
continuing her studies and earning master's and doctoral degrees in
political science; and
WHEREAS, She joined the faculty at The University of Texas
at Austin in 1965 and enjoyed a long and illustrious career as an
educator and mentor in the Government Department; she served as
the department's pre-law advisor and internship coordinator and
was a charter member of the Southwest Association of PreLaw
Advisors; and
WHEREAS, Dr. May was recognized as the foremost expert on
the sprawling, 93,000-word Texas Constitution; several generations
of legislators, lobbyists, and scholars sought her out for her
expertise in the ways the document has evolved over time and its
interpretations by the state's courts; and
WHEREAS, She was the author of The Texas State Constitution:
A Reference Guide, the coauthor of two editions of a Texas
government textbook, and the author or coauthor of five other books
and 50 journal articles, book chapters, and reference articles, and
she was in high demand as a speaker for conferences and as a
consultant for the governing bodies of other states involved in
amending their constitutions; and
WHEREAS, Dr. May was active in a number of professional and
civic organizations, notably the League of Women Voters, for
which she served on the board of the national organization and as
president of the local chapter; she was also a longtime member of
the American Association of University Women and an election
observer for ABC News; and
WHEREAS, She married the late Francis Barnes May in 1956,
and the couple enjoyed more than 50 years of marriage together;
they took great pleasure in classical music and the opera and
traveled the world to such destinations as France, the Soviet
Union, and China; and
WHEREAS, A woman of courage, strength, and compassion, she
gave generously to others, and her wisdom, her perseverance, and
her enthusiasm for scholarship and learning will long be remembered
by all those whose lives she touched; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of Janice Evelyn Christensen May; 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 Janice Evelyn Christensen May.
Watson
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 22, 2017, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate