FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, On October 25, 1998, the residents of the State of Nevada

lost a gifted artist and dedicated servant of the state with the passing of

Thelma Davis Calhoun; and

Whereas, Thelma Davis Calhoun was born in Warren, Ohio, on August

19, 1913, to Grant and Mary Davis and received her education in Ohio

before moving to Nevada with her husband, Jim Calhoun, in 1940; and

Whereas, Some of the varied positions held by this multi-talented

woman included Secretary to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

in 1945, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Indian Education from

1947 to 1948, Research Assistant in the newly established Legislative

Counsel Bureau from 1948 to 1954 and Deputy United States Marshal from

1957 to 1960, for which she proudly toted a gun; and

Whereas, In 1966, Thelma Calhoun was elected to the Carson City

Council which at that time was working on the difficult and complex task of

consolidation of Carson City and Ormsby County and was later elected to

the Carson City Board of Supervisors where she served as Mayor Pro

Tempore from 1977 to 1978; and

Whereas, In addition to numerous other awards, Thelma Calhoun

received the Distinguished Nevadan Award from the University of Nevada

in 1978 and was named Woman of the Year in 1979 by the Carson City

Chamber of Commerce; and

Whereas, Thelma Calhoun’s strength and determination were evident

in the tenacious drive which resulted in legislation that created the Nevada

State Council on the Arts, now the State Arts Council, and it was the same

dedication that led to the procurement of a public works grant for the

establishment of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, which owes its

existence in great part to her efforts; and

Whereas, Creativity was a fundamental part of her life, and as an artist,

the legacy of Thelma Calhoun lives on in a sizeable body of paintings,

drawings and prints, including her accurately detailed depictions of many

historic buildings in Carson City and Virginia City; and

Whereas, Her artwork was characterized by careful attention to detail,

a sound sense of composition and lively color, as evidenced in the piece

which graced the cover of the Nevada Bell telephone directory for Reno’s

Centennial Year in 1968 and other pieces which can now be found, among

other places, in the Carson City Community Center and the Brewery Arts

Center and on the cover of the Political History of Nevada, 1996, Tenth

Edition; and

Whereas, Thelma Calhoun is survived by her daughter, Patricia Ariaz

of Reno, her son, James Grant Calhoun of Carson City, five grandchildren

and ten great-grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly

Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

Legislature express their deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the

versatile Thelma Davis Calhoun; and be it further

Resolved, That the artwork and other civic achievements of Thelma

Davis Calhoun visible in the State of Nevada will always serve as a

reminder of her devotion to Nevada and the many ways she so generously

and wholeheartedly served the residents of this state; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy

of this resolution to Thelma Calhoun’s daughter, Patricia Ariaz, and her

son, James Grant Calhoun.

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