--- title: SR 1098. Davenport, Helen Odessa Dixon; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr1098 cite_as: SR 1098, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1098 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1098.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1098/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74698 date: 2026-04-02 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1097.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1099.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1098.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 1098 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-04-02 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Gail Davenport - Emanuel Jones - Donzella James text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR1098/2025 upstream_id: 2141043 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Senate resolution - condolence resolution - Clayton County educator - Davenport family --- # SR 1098. Davenport, Helen Odessa Dixon; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 1098 By: Senators Davenport of the 17th, Jones of the 10th and James of the 28th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport upon her 100th birthday; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport was born on May 16, 1926, in Jonesboro, Georgia, the beloved daughter of Henry and Clara Dixon; and WHEREAS, she received her early education in the Clayton County Public School System, and after graduation from Jonesboro Colored High School in 1942, she earned a bachelor's degree from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia, and a master's degree in education from Atlanta University; and WHEREAS, her union in love and marriage to her husband, Nathaniel, was blessed with two remarkable daughters, Gail, who is the state senator for the 17th District of Georgia, and Carolyn, who is a retired educator; and WHEREAS, during World War II, Helen worked in the summers of 1943 and 1944 at the Atlanta Army Depot, now called Fort Gillem, where she learned to drive cars, trucks, warehouse tractors, tow-motor fork lifts, and jitney buses, and she used the money she earned to pay for her college tuition; and WHEREAS, Helen was a lifelong member of Andrews United Methodist Church in Jonesboro, where she served on the administrative, trustee, and scholarship boards, and her stewardship reached near and far as she enjoyed fellowship with members of Andrews Chapel and the community; and WHEREAS, Helen's lifetime achievements included a great deal of community awards and recognitions, including but not limited to the 2003 Outstanding and Courageous Service Award from the Greater St. Peter AME Church in Jonesboro, the 1982 Clayton County Reading Teacher of the Year Award as a reading specialist, and recognition for outstanding service to the American Business Women's Association from the Greenbriar Chapter in Atlanta; and WHEREAS, she retired in 1990 after teaching for 38 years in the Clayton County Public School System; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous woman, Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport will long be remembered for her love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing her. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor the life and memory of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport upon her posthumous 100th birthday and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her passing on December 5, 2024 at 98 years of age. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport, a longtime Clayton County educator, marking her 100th birthday and expressing condolences on her 2024 death. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial tribute passed by the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It recounts the life of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport, who was born in Jonesboro, Georgia in 1926, earned degrees from Clark College and Atlanta University, and worked at the Atlanta Army Depot during World War II to help pay for college. The resolution details her 38-year teaching career in the Clayton County Public School System, her community service and church involvement, and her family, including her daughter Gail Davenport, who serves as the state senator for the 17th District. The Senate formally honors her memory on what would have been her 100th birthday and expresses regret over her passing on December 5, 2024. The Secretary of the Senate is directed to provide a copy of the resolution to her family. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport on the occasion of her posthumous 100th birthday. - Expresses the Senate's regret over her death on December 5, 2024 at age 98. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her family. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change since it is a ceremonial resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly concerns the family of Helen Odessa Dixon Davenport, including her daughter Senator Gail Davenport, and has no legal effect on the general public since it is a ceremonial honor rather than a law. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical effect on Georgia law or residents beyond the Davenport family. It serves as an official, permanent record of the Senate's recognition of her life, career as an educator, and community service. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount her birth, education, marriage, family, wartime work, church service, teaching career, and community awards. - The resolving clause formally honors her memory and expresses regret at her death on December 5, 2024. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-04-02) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-04-02) - Sponsors: Gail Davenport, Emanuel Jones, Donzella James - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74698 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1098.md?full=1