GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1080

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Sponsors: Senators Kerr; Albertson, Allran, Ballance, Ballantine, Basnight, Blust, Carpenter, Carrington, Clark, Cochrane, Conder, Cooper, Dalton, Dannelly, Forrester, Foxx, Garwood, Gulley, Hartsell, Horton, Hoyle, Jenkins, Kincaid, Kinnaird, Ledbetter, Lee, Lucas, Martin of Pitt, Martin of Guilford, McDaniel, Miller, Odom, Page, Perdue, Phillips, Plyler, Rand, Reeves, Rucho, Shaw of Cumberland, Shaw of Guilford, Soles, Warren, Webster, Weinstein, Wellons, and Winner.

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Referred to:  Rules and Operations of the Senate.

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June 2, 1997

A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE, SERVICE, AND MEMORY OF CHARLES DUNN.
Whereas, Charles Dunn's illustrious life of civic and political service began with his work as a top reporter in the old Senate and House chambers;
Whereas, Charles Dunn went on to assist former Governor Luther Hodges in writing his book, "Businessman in the Statehouse", serve as Administrative Aide to Congressman Horace Kornegay, and serve as Administrative/Special Assistant to Governor Dan K. Moore; and
Whereas, as Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Charles Dunn took a woefully understaffed and ill-equipped law enforcement agency and doubled its staff, raised education standards for agents, established the North Carolina Justice Academy, built a modern crime lab, hired the first female agent and the first African-American special agent, and became a key spokesman on many criminal justice issues; and
Whereas, during his service as Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Charles Dunn not only made the agency an exemplary law enforcement agency, he went on to participate in the implementation of the D.A.R.E. program in North Carolina, he became a forceful advocate for children's causes, he helped raise millions of dollars to build chapels at institutions for the retarded, and he taught junior high school-age boys in Sunday School; and
Whereas, Charles Dunn was a founding member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where he gave generously of his time and resources, established a scholarship fund in honor of his wife, Martha, and literally never missed a board meeting; and
Whereas, while working as Executive Vice President of  the North Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association, Charles Dunn made "Made in the USA”a household term, asked everyone to wear North Carolina- and USA-made clothes, and established the Charles and Martha Dunn Textile Scholarship; and
Whereas, Charles Dunn returned to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, first as Deputy Director and then as Director, and continued to speak out on a variety of children's issues, one of which was Justice for Children; and
Whereas, in all of his public service, Charles Dunn set an example of integrity, honesty, and character and he always comported himself as a "gentleman's gentleman", a statesman, a Christian man, a man among men, and a friend; and
Whereas, although Charles Dunn was a public figure, he was driven by a private obsession–as the father of three children, he came to fear for the future of many of North Carolina's less-advantaged youngsters; and
Whereas, this profound concern for all of North Carolina's children led him to be a founding member of and recipient of the John F. Baggett award from the North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Inc., to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of North Carolina Drug Abuse Resistance Education, to serve as a member of the board of directors of the United Way of North Carolina, to serve as President of Chapels for the North Carolina Centers for the Retarded, Inc., to serve as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Governor's Relations Committee, and to serve on the board of many other children's organizations including the Child Advocacy Council, the Methodist Home for Children, Wake County Opportunities, Inc., the Governor's Crime Commission, and the Governor's Interagency Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; and 
Whereas, Charles Dunn was always a spokesman for those who could not speak for themselves and a supporter of the weak; and
Whereas, after being striken with leukemia, Charles Dunn did not give up–he fought a hard fight, he continued his work on behalf of children, and he wrote three novels and a number of beautiful poems; and
Whereas, Charles Dunn was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who, all-too-soon, left behind his wife, Martha; his daughter Sherrill Dunn Jones, her husband Sam, and their child and Charles Dunn's namesake, Charlie; his son Charles Jerome Dunn, III, "Jay", who graduated magna cum laude from the school of Design at North Carolina State University in May; and his daughter Lelia Marie Dunn, "Lea”or "chicken”to the family, who works at the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association; and
Whereas, the General Assembly wishes to honor the life and memory of Charles Dunn and to recognize his many years of service to his beloved State and his fellow citizens;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
Section 1.  The General Assembly of North Carolina recognizes the many accomplishments of Charles Dunn and  expresses the gratitude of North Carolina and its citizens for his life and service towards the betterment of all.
Section 2.  The General Assembly of North Carolina offers its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Charles Dunn for the loss of their loved one and friend.
Section 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Charles Dunn.
Section 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.