H.R. No. 137
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Our communities draw immeasurable strength from
individuals such as Frances Northcutt of Houston, who has
distinguished herself in the course of her exemplary career; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of The University of Texas, "Poppy"
Northcutt joined TRW Systems, a NASA contractor, in 1965, and she
accepted an assignment to work as a computational aide at Johnson
Space Center; admired and respected for her skill, determination,
and professionalism, she eventually received a promotion to the
technical team and became the first woman to serve in an operational
support role at NASA's Mission Control Center; some of her most
notable career highlights include calculating the return-to-Earth
trajectories for the Apollo 8 mission and receiving the
Presidential Medal of Freedom as part of the team that rescued the
Apollo 13 astronauts; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Northcutt continued to work as an engineer while
studying law at the University of Houston, and she received her
juris doctor in 1981; over the years, she served as the first felony
prosecutor in the domestic violence unit at the Harris County
District Attorney's Office, and she clerked for a federal appellate
judge in Alabama; she also prosecuted and later defended numerous
criminal cases, and after entering private practice, she
specialized in criminal trial and appellate work; today, she is a
referral lawyer for Jane's Due Process, a nonprofit that provides
legal assistance to pregnant minors; and
WHEREAS, A dedicated advocate for women's rights,
Ms. Northcutt serves as president of the Houston Area and Texas
State chapters of the National Organization for Women, and she is a
former member of the organization's national board of directors; in
addition, she was the founding chair of the Harris County Women's
Political Caucus, and she was named the first women's advocate for
the City of Houston; she has also served as a special conference
consultant for the National Women's Conference; along the way, she
has volunteered at polling locations, and she currently serves as
an election judge; and
WHEREAS, A renowned trailblazer for women in engineering,
Poppy Northcutt made history through her contributions to the
Apollo program, and she has benefited her fellow citizens through a
lifetime of purposeful endeavor that continues to inspire all those
who know her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Frances "Poppy" Northcutt for her
professional and civic achievements and extend to her sincere best
wishes for continued success in all her endeavors; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Northcutt as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Johnson
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 137 was adopted by the House on April
17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 13, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House