Memorials, Academic Achievement - Gabriela Sofia Castrodad-Rivera, Valedictorian, Nashville School of the Arts -

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Charlane Oliver

Honors Nellie Dunaway Duke's life, public service, and advocacy in Georgia; expresses Senate condolences and memorializes her civic contributions for her family and community.

Signed by Senate Speaker

#academicachievement #memorials

Summary — SR 185 (Senate Resolution)

Short title / subject: Honor and memorial resolution for Nellie Dunaway Duke

Status: Enrolled; signed by the President of the Senate and transmitted to the Secretary of State on June 13, 2025.

Note: The bill metadata provided included a different title (commendation for Liberty Baptist Church, Union Parish, LA). The enrolled/legislative text included and the sponsor list correspond to a Georgia Senate resolution honoring the life and memory of Nellie Dunaway Duke. This summary is based on the enrolled resolution text and legislative history supplied.

Purpose and intent

SR 185 formally honors the life, public service, and community contributions of Nellie Dunaway Duke (b. March 8, 1931 — d. January 28, 2025) and expresses the Georgia Senate’s condolences on her passing. It recognizes her civic leadership, advocacy for women’s rights, and service to multiple community organizations.

Key provisions

Finds and recites biographical facts about Nellie Dunaway Duke, including:

Birthplace (Cave Springs, GA) and early life in Rome, Georgia.
Educational background (Girl’s High School) and early athletic activity (semi‑professional women’s basketball).
Marriage to Henry Duke in December 1948 and 66 years of marriage.
Leadership roles and public service, including:
Chair of the Georgia Commission on Women (longtime service).
Director of Christian education, First Methodist Church in Carrollton.
Director of the Teen Club at the Carrollton Recreation Department.
West Georgia regional director for the American Cancer Society.
Advocacy role in the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia.
Family survivors (five children, ten grandchildren, ten great‑grandchildren listed by name in the text).

Expresses the Senate’s deep regret at her death and honors her memory.

Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make an appropriate copy of the resolution available to Nellie Dunaway Duke’s family.

Who is affected

Primarily an honorary/ceremonial measure: it affects Nellie Dunaway Duke’s family and the broader community by formally recognizing and memorializing her life and civic contributions.

No regulatory, fiscal, or programmatic changes are made; no agencies are instructed to change policy or appropriate funds.

Legislative timeline and procedural actions

Introduced/Received by the Secretary of the Senate: February 27, 2025 (multiple entries indicate readings and adoption in late February–March 2025).

Read and adopted by the Senate: March 4, 2025 (remarks ordered printed; resolution reported enrolled).

Enrolled and signed by the President of the Senate; transmitted to the Secretary of State: June 13, 2025.

Sponsors: Resolution text header lists Senators Orrock (36th), Parent (44th), Jackson (41st), Jones II (22nd), Wicks (34th) and others; a broader list of Georgia Senate co-sponsors is included in the file.

Notes and caveats

The provided document contained multiple unrelated resolution fragments (from other states and subjects). This summary focuses on the Georgia Senate Resolution text honoring Nellie Dunaway Duke, which matches the sponsors and enrollment status reported. If you need a summary specifically of the Liberty Baptist Church commendation (the title originally supplied), please provide the correct enrolled text or confirm which version you want summarized.