[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 52 (Monday, April 13, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING LYDA HILL

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 13, 2015

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct 
pleasure to honor Lyda Hill, the 2015 recipient of the J. Erik Jonsson 
Ethics Award from Southern Methodist University's Cary M. Maguire 
Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility.
  Ms. Hill has been a philanthropic fixture in the Dallas community for 
many years and has generously donated to the many causes in which she 
strongly believes. An alumnus of the Hockaday School in Dallas, Ms. 
Hill donated $20 million to fund the all-girls school's science, 
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. Ms. Hill recently 
donated $10 million to the ``I Stand for Parkland'' campaign at 
Parkland Hospital in Dallas and $50 million to the University of Texas 
MD Anderson Cancer Center's Moon Shots Program in Houston which has a 
goal to eliminate cancer through improved detection and treatments.
  Ms. Hill has tirelessly advocated for science through her generosity 
and time dedicated to the causes in which she believes. In 2013, Ms. 
Hill was recognized as the only single woman on the Philanthropy list 
for her estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in donation to 
organizations focused on ``game-changing'' innovation and science 
research. In 2010, Ms. Hill became a member of The Giving Pledge, an 
initiative created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett that 
encourages the world's wealthiest people to commit a large majority of 
their wealth to charity. Ms. Hill certainly gives strategically and 
generously and has pledged to donate all of her assets to charity, 
mostly during her lifetime.
  Ms. Hill is the daughter of the late Margaret Hunt Hill, for whom the 
Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge which spans the Trinity River in Dallas was 
named. Ms. Hill supported the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge project and 
several other community revitalization projects in the Dallas area. Ms. 
Hill has chaired non-profit groups such as the Crystal Charity Ball, 
Junior League of Dallas, and the Dallas and Texas chapters of the 
American Heart Association.
  Ms. Hill was the recipient of the President's Volunteer Action Award 
and the Best of America Award in 1985 and in 1988, she was named 
``Outstanding Volunteer in Texas'' by the Governor. Ms. Hill has earned 
many awards throughout her lifetime as her contributions to health, 
science, public radio, education, and veterans generously continue. I 
appreciate the opportunity to recognize and congratulate Lyda Hill on 
the occasion of her winning the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award.

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