By: Jones, Jesse H.R. No. 152 73R3327 PAN-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives wishes to join 1-2 with the family, friends, colleagues, and many admirers of United 1-3 States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in grieving the 1-4 passing of this legendary jurist and civil rights leader on January 1-5 24, 1993, at the age of 84; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Born July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland, he earned 1-7 his undergraduate education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania 1-8 and continued his education at Howard University Law School, 1-9 graduating first in his class in 1933; and 1-10 WHEREAS, By the time President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed 1-11 Justice Marshall to succeed Justice Tom C. Clark on the Supreme 1-12 Court in 1967, Justice Marshall had already had a remarkable 1-13 career; and 1-14 WHEREAS, For more than two decades, Justice Marshall served 1-15 as the director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational 1-16 Fund, Inc., which he created in the 1930s; it was during this time 1-17 that he first became a tireless force in the civil rights movement, 1-18 crafting the strategy that would require the courts to provide a 1-19 definition of equality that would assure African-Americans the full 1-20 rights of citizenship; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Displaying the keen intellect and insightful grasp 1-22 of legal issues that would become the hallmarks of his career, he 1-23 argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court and won 29 of them; and 1-24 WHEREAS, One of these cases, Smith v. Allwright, which 2-1 Justice Marshall argued before the court in 1944, resulted in the 2-2 court's striking down Texas' all-white primary system; in another, 2-3 Sweatt v. Painter, The University of Texas School of Law was 2-4 ordered to drop all racial restrictions on enrollment as a result 2-5 of his enormous talent and determination as an attorney; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Perhaps Justice Marshall's greatest legal victory 2-7 came in 1954 with the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of 2-8 Education, which put an end to the "separate but equal" system of 2-9 racial segregation that was then in effect in the public schools of 2-10 21 states; and 2-11 WHEREAS, In 1961, he was named to the 2nd United States 2-12 Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City by President John F. 2-13 Kennedy, and, during the four years he served as a federal appeals 2-14 court judge, Justice Marshall rendered 112 opinions, none of which 2-15 was ever overturned on appeal; in fact, several of his dissenting 2-16 opinions later became majority opinions of the Supreme Court; and 2-17 WHEREAS, The country's first African-American solicitor 2-18 general, from 1965 to 1967, he played a pivotal role in advancing 2-19 the Johnson administration's civil and constitutional rights 2-20 agenda; and 2-21 WHEREAS, During his nearly quarter-century of service on the 2-22 nation's highest bench, Justice Marshall remained a staunch 2-23 defender of individual rights, always serving as a strong advocate 2-24 in behalf of minorities and the underprivileged; and 2-25 WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood 2-26 Marshall demonstrated unfailing wisdom, courage, and dedication to 2-27 that which he knew to be right; his deep commitment to creating an 3-1 environment that would ensure the dignity and basic rights of all 3-2 citizens has profoundly influenced the very fabric of this nation, 3-3 and the unique spirit of this visionary leader will surely live on 3-4 in the lasting legacy of accomplishments he leaves behind; now, 3-5 therefore, be it 3-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 3-7 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Supreme Court Justice 3-8 Thurgood Marshall and extend sincere sympathy to his wife, Cecilia, 3-9 to his sons, John and Thurgood Marshall, Jr., and to the many other 3-10 relatives and friends of this legendary jurist; and, be it further 3-11 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-12 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas 3-13 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 3-14 United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.