Norton Honors Renowned Scientist and Arts Patron Jaylee Mead

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today issued the following statement on the passing of Jaylee Mead, a distinguished scientist and major benefactor of the arts in the District of Columbia.

"With the passing of Jaylee Mead, the residents of the District of Columbia and all of us who love the arts have lost a major cultural maven. A Ph.D. astronomer and mathematician, Dr. Mead spent 33 distinguished years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where she made lasting contributions as a federal employee. However, her work in amateur productions helped move Jaylee and Gilbert Mead to become major figures in the cultural life of this city and play a major role in rescuing it from the backwaters of American culture. From the Levine School of Music to the Studio Theatre, the Mead signature is found across the culture of this region, but their premier legacy, the new Arena Stage and Mead Center for American Theatre, stands as both an architectural and an artistic wonder."

Published: September 14, 2012