Senate Resolution No. 600

BY: Senator O'MARA

CELEBRATING the life and accomplishments of H.
Douglas Barclay, former New York State Senator and
United States Ambassador to the Republic of El
Salvador, distinguished attorney and devoted member
of his community

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding citizens from this great
Empire State who, through their selfless commitment and dedication,
served to better the quality of life for those in their communities and
forever have left a lasting impact on those lives they touched; H.
Douglas "Doug" Barclay was one such individual; and

WHEREAS, We lost one of New York State's finest statemen on March
14, 2021; this Legislative Body records the passing of Doug Barclay, and
would be remiss to not bring acknowledgement to his incredible legacy of
public service, philanthropy and civic duty to this great State; and

WHEREAS, Born on July 5, 1932, in New York City, Doug was the only
child of Dorothy (Moody) and Hugh Barclay; as a child he attended public
school and was taught in a one-room schoolhouse before furthering his
education at Yale University and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Doug was not just an incredible student, striving to work
hard and further himself academically, but he also chose to selflessly
serve his country as an Army Artillery Lieutenant in Korea from 1955 to
1957 before attending Syracuse University College of Law, graduating in
1961; he purposefully chose Syracuse for his studies because he wanted
to remain and serve in the region he loved the most; and

WHEREAS, In 1959, Doug married the love of his life, Sara "Dee Dee"
Seiter; he cherished the days when they lived in Skytop student housing,
never losing sight of what was truly important to him, his family; and

WHEREAS, Upon graduation, he joined the oldest law firm in Syracuse,
Hiscock, Cowie, Bruce, Lee & Mawhinney, where he practiced law and was
named Partner just seven years after joining the firm; later in 1984,
that same firm would become Hiscock & Barclay, which is Barclay Damon
LLP today; and

WHEREAS, In addition to serving the Central New York Region in his
legal career, Doug also served in the New York State Senate for 20 years
and was responsible for over 500 pieces of legislation during his
tenure; some of his notable accomplishments were establishing the Altmar
fish hatchery, leading to increased tourism in the North Country as well
as rebuilding the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center; he also brought forth
changes to legislation that impacted the areas of criminal justice and
court reform as well as economic development; and

WHEREAS, As part of Doug's vision to make Syracuse a booming region
with a thriving economy in New York State, he was able to help secure
new leadership for Syracuse University and helped usher in Chancellor
Kenneth A. Shaw; together they worked as a dynamic team to restructure
the University as a "student-centered" institution to attract top talent

to the region; one of his major accomplishments on this front was the
creation of the Syracuse University Research Park, where Doug worked in
his true diplomatic fashion to secure $1.5 million in grant funds to
make the University more competitive and attractive, setting it apart as
one of the most prominent research law schools in New York State; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated, and the United
States Senate confirmed, Doug Barclay as the United States Ambassador to
the Republic of El Salvador where he served until 2006; as Ambassador,
he was highly regarded by diplomats as an affable and capable foreign
service officer who always looked after America's interest; and

WHEREAS, Doug had a variety of business interests and served on many
corporate boards, among them Syracuse Supply, as Chair of the Board from
1988 to 2003, and Key Bank as General Counsel and Secretary from 1971 to
1989; he also served on many University Boards including the Board of
Syracuse University as Chair from 1992 to 1998, and served as President
of the Syracuse Metropolitan Development Association from 1991 to 2003;
and

WHEREAS, While Doug's ambitious vision for his community and State
took him far and wide, his heart belonged to the North Country region;
his best days were spent with his family on their seventh-generation
dairy farm in Pulaski, the place he loved the most; he never stopped
advocating for his hometown and was instrumental in securing the funding
for the Pulaski Fire Company, the Northern Oswego County Ambulance
Service and the Pulaski Health Center; and

WHEREAS, Doug Barclay will be missed by all who had the opportunity
to know and love him; through it with him all is his wife of 61 years,
Dee Dee Barclay; his five children, Katie (Jim) Coyne, David (Alexandra)
Barclay, Dorothy Chynoweth, Susan Barclay and Will (Margaret) Barclay;
and 10 beloved grandchildren, Douglas, Emily, Andrew and Kate Barclay,
Thomas Coyne, Sara, William and Ben Chynoweth, Harry and George Barclay;
and

WHEREAS, Doug left such an impactful legacy on the community he
loved and lived a beautiful life, one built on compassion, kindness, and
respect for both the positions he held and for others; he will be deeply
missed by all those who had the privilege and honor of knowing him, and
truly merits the grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the life and accomplishments of H. Douglas Barclay, and to
honor his lasting and impactful memory; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of H. Douglas Barclay.