House
Resolution
19
-
Introduced
HOUSE
RESOLUTION
NO.
19
BY
ANDERSON
,
BEARINGER
,
HANSON
,
H.
MILLER
,
THEDE
,
MASCHER
,
HUNTER
,
WOLFE
,
STUTSMAN
,
WINCKLER
,
LENSING
,
JACOBY
,
COHOON
,
GASKILL
,
SMITH
,
PRICHARD
,
STECKMAN
,
GASSMAN
,
OLDSON
,
KELLEY
,
SIECK
,
GUSTAFSON
,
BAUDLER
,
JONES
,
HANUSA
,
SALMON
,
L.
MILLER
,
HEATON
,
PETTENGILL
,
and
FRY
A
Resolution
honoring
Catherine
Gayle
Williams’
1
exemplary
service
to
Iowa’s
children
and
families
on
2
the
occasion
of
her
centennial
birthday.
3
WHEREAS,
Catherine
Gayle
Williams
was
born
November
4
21,
1914,
in
Des
Moines,
Iowa,
and
upon
graduating
5
as
valedictorian
of
her
class
from
North
High
School,
6
she
pursued
a
very
successful
tap
dancing
and
acting
7
career;
and
8
WHEREAS,
when
Ms.
Williams’
parents
became
ill,
9
she
returned
to
Des
Moines
and
worked
as
a
secretary,
10
a
public
assistance
worker,
and
a
public
welfare
11
supervisor
for
the
Polk
County
Welfare
Department;
and
12
WHEREAS,
while
working
for
the
Polk
County
Welfare
13
Department,
Ms.
Williams
attended
college
on
a
14
part-time
basis
at
Drake
University,
graduating
with
15
degrees
in
psychology
and
sociology;
and
16
WHEREAS,
after
earning
her
master’s
degree
17
in
social
work
from
the
University
of
Iowa,
Ms.
18
Williams
returned
to
work
at
the
Polk
County
Welfare
19
Department,
eventually
attaining
the
position
of
20
Deputy
Commissioner
of
the
Iowa
Department
of
Social
21
Services;
and
22
WHEREAS,
during
Ms.
Williams’
professional
career,
23
-1-
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2347YH
(6)
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H.R.
19
she
was
responsible
for
many
innovations
in
the
1
delivery
of
social
services
in
this
state,
particularly
2
in
foster
care
programming,
having
developed
the
3
first
statewide
training
program
for
foster
parents
4
of
children
with
intellectual
disabilities
and
having
5
authored
the
Polk
County
Welfare
Department’s
first
6
foster
care
study;
and
7
WHEREAS,
Ms.
Williams
became
the
highest-ranking
8
African
American
female
in
state
government
and
one
9
of
the
highest-ranking
females
in
social
services
10
nationally
when
she
served
as
the
Deputy
Commissioner
11
of
the
Iowa
Department
of
Social
Services
in
1975;
and
12
WHEREAS,
Ms.
Williams
has
served
on
the
boards
of
13
many
community
organizations
including
the
Iowa
Health
14
Facilities
Council,
the
City
of
Des
Moines
Planning
15
and
Zoning
Commission,
the
Project
Helper
Board,
the
16
Iowa
Council
on
Human
Services,
the
Simpson
College
17
Task
Force
on
Minority
Student
Concerns,
the
United
18
Way
Model
Cities
Allocation
Committee,
the
Community
19
Relations
Task
Force
of
the
NAACP,
and
the
Jewish
20
Federation
of
Greater
Des
Moines;
and
21
WHEREAS,
Ms.
Williams
has
received
many
honors
and
22
awards
during
her
32-year
career
in
social
services
23
including
the
Drake
University
Alumni
Distinguished
24
Service
Award,
the
State
of
Iowa
Volunteer
Award,
the
25
Morris
Scholarship
Fund
Award,
the
YWCA/Mary
Louise
26
Smith
Racial
Justice
Award,
the
University
of
Iowa
27
School
of
Social
Work
Distinguished
Alumnae
Award,
the
28
North
High
School
Distinguished
Alumna
Award,
and
the
29
National
Black
Child
Development
Institute
Award;
and
30
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19
WHEREAS,
in
addition,
Ms.
Williams
was
inducted
into
1
the
Iowa
Women’s
Hall
of
Fame
and
the
Iowa
African
2
American
Hall
of
Fame,
was
named
as
the
Iowa
Social
3
Worker
of
the
Year
and
the
University
of
Iowa
Mark
Hale
4
Lecturer,
and
was
a
recipient
of
an
Honorary
Doctor
of
5
Humane
Letters
from
Simpson
College;
and
6
WHEREAS,
Catherine
Gayle
Williams
turned
100
years
7
of
age
on
November
21,
2014;
NOW
THEREFORE,
8
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
That
9
the
House
of
Representatives
honors
Catherine
Gayle
10
Williams
for
her
integrity,
compassion,
and
exemplary
11
public
service
to
Iowa’s
children
and
families
and
12
thanks
her
for
her
deep
commitment
to
and
love
of
13
Iowa’s
children
and
families;
and
14
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
Chief
Clerk
of
the
15
House
of
Representatives
be
directed
to
send
a
copy
of
16
this
resolution
to
Catherine
Gayle
Williams.
17
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