01/31/17 REVISOR JFK/RC 17-2460
1.1 A Senate resolution
1.2 honoring the life of Mary Tyler Moore.
1.3 WHEREAS, Mary Tyler Moore was born in Brooklyn, New York, to George Tyler Moore
1.4 and his wife Marjorie Hackett, and was the oldest of three siblings; her family lived in the Flatbush
1.5 section of Brooklyn, but moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old; and
1.6 WHEREAS, deciding at age 17 that she wanted to be a dancer, Mary's first television job
1.7 was as "Happy Hotpoint," a tiny elf dancing on Hotpoint appliances in TV commercials during the
1.8 1950s series "Ozzie and Harriet"; Mary soon began landing regular television roles on such programs
1.9 as "Richard Diamond, Private Detective," "Overland Trail," and "The Tab Hunter Show"; and
1.10 WHEREAS, in 1961, Carl Reiner cast her in the co-lead role of "The Dick Van Dyke Show,"
1.11 and her memorable, witty, energetic comedic take on the character of Laura Petrie made both Mary
1.12 and her signature capri pants extremely popular internationally, and she received the first of many
1.13 Emmy awards; in 1970, Mary and her husband Grant Tinker successfully pitched a sitcom to CBS
1.14 that centered on her, and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," a newsroom sitcom set in Minneapolis
1.15 that also featured Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, and Ted Knight,
1.16 became a major hit, with a unique approach at the time that depicted the life of a single, never-married
1.17 independent career woman at work and at home; and
1.18 WHEREAS, featuring Sonny Curtis's memorable theme song, "Love is All Around," with
1.19 the iconic line "Who can turn the world on with her smile?" and an opening sequence that always
1.20 concluded with Mary tossing her hat in front of Dayton's department store after featuring such
1.21 signature exterior Minneapolis locations as Nicollet Mall, the Crystal Court of the IDS Center, the
1.22 Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Riverside Plaza, and a house on Kenwood Parkway, "The Mary Tyler
1.23 Moore Show" became a cultural phenomenon; the show was hailed for its groundbreaking impact
1.24 on television and for its willingness to challenge stereotypical images of women, and to this day it
1.25 remains an inspiration for working women; and
1 01/31/17 REVISOR JFK/RC 17-2460
2.1 WHEREAS, during its seven seasons, the show racked up 29 Emmy awards and spun off
2.2 three other television series, "Rhoda," "Phyllis," and "Lou Grant"; while Mary had previously
2.3 starred in several feature films, she received an Oscar nomination for her powerful portrayal of a
2.4 grieving mother in 1980's "Ordinary People"; and
2.5 WHEREAS, Mary and Grant Tinker founded MTM Enterprises, which produced "The Mary
2.6 Tyler Moore Show" several other popular American sitcoms and drama series such as "The Bob
2.7 Newhart Show," "WKRP in Cincinnati," and "Hill Street Blues"; she continued to work in television
2.8 and movies while becoming active in charity work and various political causes, particularly the
2.9 issues of animal rights and diabetes, having been diagnosed herself with type 1 diabetes early in
2.10 the run of the "Mary Tyler Moore Show"; and she wrote two memoirs, which also addressed her
2.11 battle with alcoholism; and
2.12 WHEREAS, on May 8, 2002, cable TV network TV Land dedicated an 8-foot tall bronze
2.13 statue of Mary tossing her hat on Nicollet Mall, and Moore herself unveiled the statue, with 3,000
2.14 tam hats distributed to the assembled crowd for a commemorative hat toss; and
2.15 WHEREAS, Mary Tyler Moore passed away on January 25, 2017, at the age of 80, and will
2.16 be dearly missed by her family, friends, and fans worldwide, particularly in Minnesota, where her
2.17 impact has always understandably been felt most strongly, due to the setting of her most memorable
2.18 and enduring role as Mary Richards; and
2.19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it
2.20 honors the life and work of Mary Tyler Moore, and extends sincere condolences to her family and
2.21 friends upon her passing.
2.22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is directed to prepare an
2.23 enrolled copy of this resolution, to be authenticated by the Secretary's signature and that of the
2.24 Chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and transmit it to her loving husband of
2.25 33 years, Dr. Robert Levine.
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