hr137_LC_21_9182_a_2.html
07 LC 21 9182
House Resolution 137
By: Representatives Brooks of the 63rd, Abdul-Salaam of the 74th, Williams of the 165th, Holmes of the 61st, Mitchell of the 88th, and others

A RESOLUTION


Expressing regret at the passing of Dora Edith McDonald; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Dora Edith McDonald was born in Greeleyville, South Carolina, on July 16, 1925, the second child of Ezekiel McDonald and Lucy Rollerson-McDonald; and

WHEREAS, from early childhood, the church was central to her life, and she and her family were members of Long Branch United Methodist church where both of her parents sang in the choir while her aunt played the organ; and after moving to Atlanta as a young adult, she joined the Central United Methodist Church, where she remained a loyal member for many years; and

WHEREAS, she graduated from Stone Hill Elementary School and Lincoln High School, and then she received a degree from South Carolina State College; and

WHEREAS, she was introduced to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Dr. Ralph David Abernathy in a parking lot in Atlanta, and soon Dr. King asked her to become his personal secretary; and when she accepted, her life was forever changed; and

WHEREAS, she became Dr. King´s trusted confidant, dedicated assistant, and a key member of his staff; and she traveled with him to Oslo and watched as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize; and

WHEREAS, after Dr. King´s death, she became secretary to Ambassador Andrew Young, serving in that capacity from 1972 to 1977, after which she accepted an administrative position with International Business Machines Corporation, from which she retired in 1995, and then she worked part time for Mrs. Coretta Scott King; and

WHEREAS, her book, Secretary to a King, detailing her life and experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, is in the process of being published.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body express regret at the passing of Dora Edith McDonald.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the public and the press.