[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 140 (Monday, September 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNITION OF EBBY HALLIDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 28, 2015

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with 
great pleasure to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a proud 
Dallasite and a true American. Ebby Halliday, known in North Texas as 
the ``Queen of Real Estate,'' passed in Dallas on Wednesday, September 
9, 2015. The 70-year-old company that she founded, Ebby Halliday Real 
Estate, has nearly 1800 real estate agents and in 2014 amassed sales of 
$6.6 billion. The impact of her company was only outweighed by the 
impact of her character.
  The life and work of Ebby Halliday is a part of the social and 
economic fabric of Dallas. Mrs. Halliday approached philanthropy with 
the same way she approached real estate. Always graceful, she explained 
her work ethic by saying: ``I work like a dog and act like a lady.'' 
Her intensity and charm only intensified with age.
  Praise for Mrs. Halliday rings far and wide in Dallas, from the state 
capitol to her many employees. Twenty-three years ago, she placed 49 
percent of the company that she had build into a stock portfolio for 
her employees. She believed that they should be rewarded for their 
work.
  She changed the scope and nature of the real estate industry in 
Texas, by including, recruiting, and mentoring talented women to lead 
the industry. Some of the largest real estate firms in North Texas 
today are owned by women who received their training under the prudent 
tutelage of Ebby Halliday.
  At a celebration for her 100th birthday four years ago, this graceful 
lady donned a ukulele and sang ``Happy Days Are Here Again.'' She was 
as joyous as the youngest person in the room.
  Because of Ebby Halliday, Dallas grew not only in size, but in the 
capacity to love. I want to take this time to remember her, on behalf 
of her family, the city of Dallas.
  Mr. Speaker, Ebby Halliday is an unforgettable public servant and 
leader. A woman fueled by passion and concern for others, she was a 
trailblazer for women throughout the state of Texas. She left a 
powerful legacy that will live for generations.

                          ____________________