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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Austin lost an admired philanthropist, |
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arts advocate, and civil rights activist with the death of Ada |
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Cecilia Collins Anderson on June 2, 2021, at the age of 99; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Walter and Cecilia Collins, the |
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former Ada Collins was born in Pilot Knob on October 2, 1921, and |
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grew up as the fourth of nine children; she attended Pilot Knob |
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Elementary School, founded by her paternal grandfather, and went on |
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to graduate from L. C. Anderson High School in Austin; after |
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receiving her bachelor's degree in home economics from |
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Huston-Tillotson University, she became the first African American |
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to enroll in The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of |
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Library Science, and although she completed her coursework, the |
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segregated Texas State Library refused to give her a field |
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placement, and she was denied her diploma; she was employed as a |
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counselor by the Texas Employment Commission and strove to improve |
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pay and conditions for African American domestic workers; later, |
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she taught in the Austin Independent School District, earned a |
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master's degree in educational psychology, and became a |
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psychometrist; in addition, she was a partner in Anderson Wormley |
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Real Estate and Insurance Company, established by her husband, |
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Marcellus J. "Andy" Anderson, with her assistance; and |
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WHEREAS, The Andersons married during World War II and became |
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the parents of two treasured children, Sandra and Marcellus, |
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nicknamed "Jack"; benefiting youth of color, Mrs. Anderson helped |
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found the Austin chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and she served |
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the organization in such offices as regional director and national |
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corresponding secretary; she organized a successful boycott of a |
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Whites-only skating rink in East Austin and then formed the Austin |
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Human Relations Commission, a coalition of pastors, professors, and |
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others determined to end segregation; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1982, Mrs. Anderson became the first African |
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American to win a countywide election in the Texas capital when she |
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joined the board of Austin Community College; committed to |
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education and the arts, she organized and directed the Leadership |
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Enrichment Arts Program for underserved youngsters; she co-chaired |
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the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force for the Austin Independent |
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School District and served on the board of Laguna Gloria Art Museum; |
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at the behest of her friend, Lady Bird Johnson, she facilitated two |
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exhibitions of African American art at the LBJ Library and Museum; |
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she was also a founding member of the Austin Lyric Opera and served |
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on gubernatorial commissions; breaking yet another barrier, she |
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became the first African American woman to sit on a bank board in |
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Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to their community, the Andersons helped |
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provide affordable housing for African Americans; they were active |
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in the Democratic Party at the local, state, and national levels and |
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became personal friends of Governor John Connally and President |
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Lyndon Baines Johnson; Mrs. Anderson coordinated voter |
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registration and mobilization drives that got thousands across |
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Texas to the polls; in addition, the Andersons were both involved in |
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Masonry and a host of civic issues; the couple shared a fulfilling |
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relationship of 61 years before Mr. Anderson's passing; |
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Mrs. Anderson was also preceded in death by both her children; in |
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memory of her daughter, she donated $3 million to Huston-Tillotson |
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University, the largest gift in its history, for the Sandra Joy |
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Anderson Community Health and Wellness Center; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Anderson was the recipient of myriad |
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accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Huston-Tillotson |
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and the Community Legacy Award and Distinguished Alumnus Award from |
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UT; moreover, UT's Briscoe Center holds a collection of her and her |
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husband's papers; she was inducted into both the African American |
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Women's Hall of Fame and the Texas Black Women's Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Through her trailblazing achievements and numerous |
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civic contributions, Ada Anderson made a lasting, positive |
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difference in her community, and her legacy will continue to |
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resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Ada Cecilia Collins Anderson and extend sincere condolences to all |
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who mourn her passing; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ada Cecilia |
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Collins Anderson. |