By: Stiles H.R. No. 753 73R11124 PFG-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor 1-2 Julie Rogers for her remarkable record of service to the Beaumont 1-3 community; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Ms. Rogers has dedicated much of her life to 1-5 improving conditions for the mentally ill in her community and is 1-6 one of the founders of the Mental Health Association in Jefferson 1-7 County for which she has provided solid and energetic leadership in 1-8 a variety of demanding roles at the state and local level for more 1-9 than three decades; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Her many accomplishments in behalf of these 1-11 frequently forgotten citizens include her crusade to reopen the 1-12 mental health office in Jefferson County, which, after it was 1-13 closed in 1985 due to insufficient funds, she successfully 1-14 reestablished as a vital link in the local provision of mental 1-15 health services; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Ms. Rogers also has played a pivotal role in the 1-17 highly successful Fone-A-Fact telephone service that makes 1-18 information on 200 mental health issues available to the public; in 1-19 the last year alone, the service received requests for tapes from 1-20 more than 7,000 callers and plans are currently under way to offer 1-21 tapes in Spanish; and 1-22 WHEREAS, In addition to her laudable efforts in behalf of the 1-23 mentally ill, this remarkable individual organized the second 1-24 chapter of Suicide Rescue in the nation in the aftermath of the 2-1 tragic suicides of two local boys and, together with her husband, 2-2 Ben, helped to chair the building fund for cottages at Boys Haven, 2-3 a home for disadvantaged boys, to which she also contributed such 2-4 essential domestic items as cookware and curtains that she sewed 2-5 herself; and 2-6 WHEREAS, A longtime supporter of the United Negro College 2-7 Development Fund, she and her family recently established the Ben 2-8 Rogers/Lamar University "I Have a Dream" Program, providing 2-9 scholarships to 75 sixth graders each year to encourage them to 2-10 finish high school and to attend college; to date, there are 225 2-11 students involved in the program with plans to add 75 more in the 2-12 fall; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Ms. Rogers also has been a loyal supporter of the 2-14 local arts community for nearly half a century and was a key 2-15 organizer of the Beaumont Symphony and the Texas Arts Alliance; she 2-16 has served with distinction in a leadership capacity for many local 2-17 arts organizations and has succeeded in bringing some of the 2-18 world's foremost classical musicians to Beaumont; and 2-19 WHEREAS, In recognition of her vast contributions to the 2-20 arts, the city's auditorium was renamed the Julie Rogers Theater 2-21 for the Performing Arts in 1982; and 2-22 WHEREAS, This vibrant woman has been the recipient of many 2-23 well-deserved accolades for her extraordinary record of community 2-24 service and was the first woman in Texas to be honored with a 2-25 lifetime membership in the Salvation Army for her exemplary 2-26 contributions; most recently, she was recognized by the Texas 2-27 Mental Health Association, which established the annual Julie 3-1 Rogers Mental Health Volunteer Award in her honor; and 3-2 WHEREAS, She also is a valued member of many other worthy 3-3 organizations too numerous to mention and is devoted to her faith 3-4 as an active participant in her local synagogue; and 3-5 WHEREAS, A remarkably gifted woman who earned a law degree at 3-6 the age of 19, she has been supported, and often joined, in her 3-7 numerous endeavors by her beloved husband, Ben, and together the 3-8 happy couple have raised three children and now enjoy the love and 3-9 affection of four grandchildren; and 3-10 WHEREAS, A woman of tremendous courage, compassion, 3-11 intelligence, and humor, Julie Rogers is truly a pillar of her 3-12 community who has benefitted the lives of many in her city and 3-13 state, and she is indeed deserving of special praise and 3-14 legislative recognition for her continuing contributions in this 3-15 regard; now, therefore, be it 3-16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 3-17 Legislature hereby commend Julie Rogers for her outstanding 3-18 community service and extend sincere best wishes to her for her 3-19 continued success and happiness for many years to come; and, be it 3-20 further 3-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-22 prepared for Ms. Rogers as an expression of high regard by the 3-23 Texas House of Representatives.