By:  Giddings                                          H.R. No. 635
       73R9793 JLZ-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The death of Dr. Emmett Conrad, a noted physician
    1-2  and Dallas community leader who passed away on April 24, 1993, has
    1-3  profoundly saddened his family and friends and is a great loss not
    1-4  only to the community but to all of the people of Texas; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Known for his dedication to public service as well
    1-6  as for his compassion as a great humanitarian, Dr. Conrad devoted
    1-7  much of his life to the struggle against social inequity, breaking
    1-8  down barriers that impeded the community's progress toward true
    1-9  equality of opportunity for everyone; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, A trailblazer in his chosen profession, he joined
   1-11  the staff of St. Paul Hospital in 1955, at a time when there were
   1-12  no black doctors working in medical facilities outside Dallas's
   1-13  African-American community; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, He proved to be a consummate professional, setting a
   1-15  worthy example by his ability, steadfast dedication, and
   1-16  perseverance in a demanding career, and by 1981 he had risen to the
   1-17  top as St. Paul's chief of staff, where as chief physician he
   1-18  continued to command the respect and admiration of all his
   1-19  colleagues; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, His long-standing record of community involvement
   1-21  was a natural extension of the abiding concern for the well-being
   1-22  of his fellowman that had led him to pursue a medical career, and
   1-23  it also reflected his belief in the promise of a free and open
   1-24  society where everyone could share equally in all of the
    2-1  opportunities made possible through educational attainment; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, In 1967, he again broke new ground when he became
    2-3  the first African-American to win a seat on the Dallas Independent
    2-4  School District board of trustees in a citywide election, and he
    2-5  went on to serve 10 years on the school board; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, His tenure on the school board coincided with the
    2-7  critical and potentially volatile period when the school district
    2-8  was implementing a court-ordered desegregation of the Dallas public
    2-9  schools, but it also gave Dr. Conrad an opportunity to demonstrate
   2-10  again his exceptional leadership ability; his firm, steady voice of
   2-11  reason helped maintain calm throughout the community and united the
   2-12  different factions to work together for the good of all; and
   2-13        WHEREAS, Dr. Conrad then brought his leadership, dedication,
   2-14  and the experience he had gained during his service on the Dallas
   2-15  school board to bear on the quality of education statewide when he
   2-16  won a seat on the State Board of Education in 1982; he worked
   2-17  tirelessly for educational reform in Texas and was a staunch
   2-18  advocate for prekindergarten programs, teacher testing, and
   2-19  changing curriculum emphasis from athletic performance to academic
   2-20  achievement; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, Despite the wide-ranging commitments that
   2-22  characterized Dr. Conrad's long and distinguished career, this
   2-23  caring public servant never forgot the community where it all
   2-24  began, and he maintained an office in the South Dallas community
   2-25  until the year before he died; and
   2-26        WHEREAS, His death brought to a sad close a public service
   2-27  career that spanned nearly four decades and that touched the lives
    3-1  of countless Texans; though he is gone from us now, his legacy of
    3-2  visionary leadership and his many noble contributions in the fields
    3-3  of medicine, education, and social service will long endure as a
    3-4  fitting memorial to this outstanding individual; now, therefore, be
    3-5  it
    3-6        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
    3-7  Legislature hereby honor the memory of Dr. Emmett Conrad and extend
    3-8  deepest sympathy to the members of his family, to his friends and
    3-9  admirers, and to all those who have mourned the passing of this
   3-10  fine man; 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  Dr. Emmett Conrad.