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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
20-304
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
December 17, 2014
To posthumously recognize, honor and express our overwhelming gratitude to Mary Burke Washington for her commitment to excellence and her numerous contributions to the District of Columbia and her citizens.
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington was born on July 6, 1926, in Tuskegee, Alabama and moved to Washington with her family when she was 10;
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington graduated from Dunbar High School in 1944 and from the University of Washington in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in economics;
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington studied economics and city planning in Wisconsin and immersed herself in city, state, and federal government jobs in New York;
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington was the ranking official for women’s affairs in New York State in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s;
WHEREAS, in 1975, Mary Burke Washington was named director of New York state women’s division which sought to recruit more women to government and address women’s concerns, and in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, while working as a public relations consultant, Mary Burke Washington chaired New York City’s 12-member Civilian Complaint Review Board;
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington returned to the District in 1994 after marrying Walter Washington, the first elected mayor of the District in more than a century, and after his death she tended to his legacy in civic affairs; and
WHEREAS, Mary Burke Washington is survived by 2 children from her first marriage, Tracy Bledsoe and Scott Nicolas, a stepdaughter, Bennetta Jules-Rosette, 4 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and salutes Mary Burke Washington. Her many years of service to the District of Columbia serve as a remarkable achievement of dedication, loyalty, commitment, and inspiration.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Mary Burke Washington Posthumous Recognition Resolution of 2014".
Sec. 3. This resolution shall be effectively immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
