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.