--- title: SR 185. Duke, Nellie Dunaway; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr185 cite_as: SR 185, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr185 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr185.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr185/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70307 date: 2025-02-13 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/sr184.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr186.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr185.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 185 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-13 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Nan Orrock - Elena Parent - Kim Jackson - Harold Jones - Kenya Wicks - Gail Davenport - Tonya Anderson - Sally Harrell - Sonya Halpern - RaShaun Kemp - Donzella James - Jason Esteves - Michael Rhett - Ed Harbison - Clint Dixon - Chuck Hufstetler - Sheikh Rahman - Brandon Beach - Marty Harbin - Ricky Williams - Nikki Merritt - Derek Mallow - Carden Summers text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR185/2025 upstream_id: 1968160 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - women's rights history - Georgia Senate - Carrollton Georgia --- # SR 185. Duke, Nellie Dunaway; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 185 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Parent of the 44th, Jackson of the 41st, Jones II of the 22nd, Wicks of the 34th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Nellie Dunaway Duke; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Nellie Dunaway Duke on January 28, 2025; and WHEREAS, Nellie Dunaway Duke was born on March 8, 1931, in Cave Springs, Georgia, a beloved daughter of Jack and Emily Broom Dunaway; and WHEREAS, she spent her early years in Rome, Georgia, where she attended Girl's High School and played basketball during a time when female players were restricted to half-court positions, excelling as a running guard through her skill and determination; and WHEREAS, upon graduating from high school at 16, she played semi-professional women's basketball for two years before meeting and marrying Henry Duke in December 1948, with whom she shared 66 years of loving marriage; and WHEREAS, Nellie Dunaway Duke was a tireless advocate and champion for women's rights who played a pivotal role in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia and served for decades as the chair of the Georgia Commission on Women, often using her homemade "Nellie's Jellies" as a calling card to engage lawmakers and governors; and WHEREAS, beyond her advocacy, she was a dedicated servant leader who worked as the director of Christian education for the First Methodist Church in Carrollton, the director of the Teen Club at the Carrollton Recreation Department, and the West Georgia regional director for the American Cancer Society; and WHEREAS, she was blessed with five wonderful children, Gary, Carol, Kenneth, Michael, and Alan; ten outstanding grandchildren, Jonathan, Jessica, Jennifer, Jesse, Seth, Sarah, Emily, Amber, Ben, and Hannah; and ten magnificent great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous woman, Nellie Dunaway Duke 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 join in honoring the life and memory of Nellie Dunaway Duke and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her passing. 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 Nellie Dunaway Duke. ## 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 Nellie Dunaway Duke, a longtime women's rights advocate from Carrollton, following her death on January 28, 2025. ### Plain-language summary This is a Georgia Senate resolution, a type of legislative statement that does not create or change any law. It recognizes the life of Nellie Dunaway Duke, who died on January 28, 2025, at age 93. The resolution recounts her upbringing in Rome, Georgia, her early basketball career, her 66-year marriage to Henry Duke, and her decades of civic and charitable work, including chairing the Georgia Commission on Women and supporting the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia. The Senate resolves to formally express its regret at her passing and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to her family. It has no regulatory or budgetary effect. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Nellie Dunaway Duke. - Recites her biography, family history, and decades of civic and advocacy work in the resolution's text. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to her family. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as is typical for a memorial resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the family of Nellie Dunaway Duke, including her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who will receive a copy of it. It has no effect on the general public, agencies, or businesses. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial consequence, it serves as an official public record of the Georgia Senate honoring a private citizen's civic contributions, including her role in advancing women's rights in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Nellie Dunaway Duke's birth, family, education, marriage, and career in community and civic work. - The resolving clause states the Senate's regret at her passing and honors her memory. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-13) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-13) - Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Elena Parent, Kim Jackson, Harold Jones, Kenya Wicks, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson, Sally Harrell, Sonya Halpern, RaShaun Kemp, Donzella James, Jason Esteves, Michael Rhett, Ed Harbison, Clint Dixon, Chuck Hufstetler, Sheikh Rahman, Brandon Beach, Marty Harbin, Ricky Williams, Nikki Merritt, Derek Mallow, Carden Summers - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70307 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr185.md?full=1