THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY M. SMITH, MUSTIO, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, DAVIS, DEASY, DiGIROLAMO, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, HARHAI, HARKINS, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HESS, KORTZ, KULA, MAHONEY, MANN, MARSHALL, MATZIE, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MURT, PYLE, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, ROCK, ROSS, SCAVELLO, SONNEY, SWANGER, TOEPEL, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 30, 2012

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 30, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing April 14, 2012, as "Martha Dixon Day" in

Pennsylvania to honor the life of FBI Special Agent Martha

Dixon.

WHEREAS, Martha Dixon was born January 10, 1959, in Mount

Lebanon; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Dixon graduated from Mount Lebanon High School

in 1977; and

WHEREAS, She continued her education at the University of

Pittsburgh, from which she graduated in 1982 with a degree in

chemistry; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Dixon began her professional career in Little

Rock, Arkansas, at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory where she

worked as a forensic chemist analyzing crime scenes and

providing expert testimony on behalf of the State of Arkansas;

and

WHEREAS, Ms. Dixon became an agent of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI) in 1987; and

WHEREAS, She was then assigned to the Knoxville, Tennessee,

FBI Field Office, where, among other assignments, she negotiated

and resolved the uprising at the Talladega Federal Correctional

Institution in August 1991; and

WHEREAS, Her participation in this event and successful

forced entry into the prison, which had been overtaken by

prisoners, returned control to prison officials, for which she

was decorated for her bravery; and

WHEREAS, In 1992, Ms. Dixon was transferred from the

Knoxville field office to the Washington, DC, Main Field Office

of the FBI (WMFO), and assigned to the Cold Case Homicide Task

Force to assist the Washington, DC, Metro Police Force in

determining unsolved crimes; and

WHEREAS, On November 22, 1994, Special Agent Dixon made the

ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the FBI as she responded to

gunfire in the Cold Case Division area of the WMFO; and

WHEREAS, By injuring the perpetrator, Ms. Dixon prevented the

possibility of an even greater loss of human life and injury to

fellow law enforcement agents and civilians within the building;

and

WHEREAS, Ms. Dixon has been awarded several honors, including

the FBI Memorial Star, the FBI Commendation for Meritorious

Service, the FBI Medal of Valor, the Michael John Buczek Medal

of Honor, the FBI Agents Association's J. Edgar Hoover Memorial

Award for Valor, the Attorney General's Award for Bravery, the

naming of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office in her honor,

recognition on numerous memorial plaques and the 2006

Outstanding Mount Lebanon High School Alumni Award; and

WHEREAS, In memory of Ms. Dixon, her family initiated the

Martha Fund; and

WHEREAS, The largest fundraiser for the Martha Fund is

"Martha's Run," which is an event exemplifying Ms. Dixon's love

of running, and the 2012 "Martha's Run" is scheduled for April

14, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Donations to the Martha Fund are used to build or

renovate and maintain playgrounds; and, to date, three public

playgrounds have been erected in her honor, including Martha's

Playground in Mount Lebanon; and

WHEREAS, Martha was the proud aunt to several nieces and

nephews and loved watching them play; and

WHEREAS, These playgrounds offer children a safe place to

play; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize April

14, 2012, as "Martha Dixon Day" in Pennsylvania, to honor the

life of Martha Dixon, FBI Special Agent, who paid the ultimate

sacrifice in the line of duty while engaged in the protection of

others.