TITLE: Congratulating Lynn Wyatt of Houston on being named the 2017 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Lynn Wyatt of Houston on being named the 2017 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Lynn Wyatt of Houston has been named the 2017 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron by the Texas Cultural Trust; and WHEREAS, The Texas Medal of Arts program pays tribute to residents of the Lone Star State who have significantly benefited a variety of artistic disciplines, through either personal achievement or benevolent support; and WHEREAS, A third-generation Texan, Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt has long been a philanthropist and civic leader; locally, she chaired the Houston Grand Opera's 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Gala, which raised $2.5 million for the company, and featured such international stars as Ren e Fleming, Bryn Terfel, Philip Glass, and Elton John; Mrs. Wyatt is also chair emeritus of the Brilliant Lecture Series' Youth Leadership Program and a life trustee of the Star of Hope Mission, and in 1980, Governor William P. Clements named her an Ambassador of Goodwill for the State of Texas; and WHEREAS, Active in a number of efforts at the national level as well, Mrs. Wyatt is a founding trustee of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, and she chaired the inaugural gala in Washington, D.C., for President Ronald Reagan; as President Reagan's appointee, she served for eight years on the board of the U.S. Naval Academy; and WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has shared her time and resources with the international community as well, serving as chair of the Bal de la Rose in Monaco, an annual event that she transformed into a weekend of festivities benefiting the Red Cross and the American Hospital of Paris; she is also a special advisor to Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier, president of the World Foundation for Medical Research and Prevention, and she has generously supported the Elton John AIDS Foundation; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Wyatt's many honors include the Masterson Award from the Houston Grand Opera and the Woodson Medal from the Houston Forum, and she was inducted into France's prestigious Order of Arts and Letters as a chevalier in 1982, with a promotion to the rank of officer in 2007; moreover, she has been named Houston's Most Fascinating by the Texas Medical Center Library, Socialite of the Century by Texas Monthly,and a Cadillac Texas Legend by KHOU-TV in Houston; and WHEREAS, Cultural organizations across the Lone Star State and beyond have benefited immeasurably from the altruism of Lynn Wyatt, and she has set an inspiring example of the good that one person can accomplish; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Lynn Wyatt on her selection as the 2017 Texas Medal of Arts honoree for Individual Arts Patron and extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mrs. Wyatt as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Davis of Harris Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1374 was adopted by the House on April 27, 2017, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House