1-1 By: Stiles, Price (Senate Sponsor - Galloway) H.C.R. No. 85 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 1995; 1-3 April 19, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 5, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 5, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, Ben Rogers contributed significantly to the 1-8 citizens of this state as a business leader and philanthropist who 1-9 demonstrated an exemplary concern for the well-being of others; and 1-10 WHEREAS, As a young man, he settled in Beaumont with his 1-11 brothers and together they established Texas State Optical; and 1-12 WHEREAS, A man of many interests and talents, he also 1-13 contributed his invaluable expertise to the banking industry and 1-14 offered wise and thoughtful guidance as an organizer and director 1-15 of numerous financial institutions in the Beaumont and Houston 1-16 areas; in recognition of the vast contributions he made to the 1-17 business community in our state, he was inducted into the 1-18 prestigious Texas Business Hall of Fame; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Mr. Rogers continued to work for the betterment of 1-20 the Southeast Texas community through his service as president of 1-21 the Beaumont and Sabine Neches Chambers of Commerce, the Central 1-22 City Development Corporation, the Beaumont Music Commission, United 1-23 Appeals, and the Beaumont Optimist Club; in addition, this 1-24 remarkable gentleman was the founder and president of the Joe Louis 1-25 International Sports Foundation and, in 1976, helped to raise over 1-26 half a million dollars for the organization to the benefit of boys' 1-27 clubs throughout the country; and 1-28 WHEREAS, As a result of his leadership, facilities have been 1-29 provided in Beaumont for Boys Haven, the Minnie Rogers Juvenile 1-30 Home, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, United Appeals, the YMCA, the 1-31 new Art Museum of Southeast Texas, the Babe Zaharias Museum, and 1-32 the Julie and Ben Rogers Cancer Institute; and 1-33 WHEREAS, This dedicated gentleman worked to foster 1-34 productivity and independence for individuals with mental 1-35 retardation, and to that end, on July 30, 1979, he donated a 1-36 building and property to the Beaumont State Center; the building, 1-37 called the Hollywood Workcenter, is used to provide supportive 1-38 employment training to individuals at the center; and 1-39 WHEREAS, Ben Rogers's remarkable contributions to the 1-40 quality of life in Southeast Texas survive his death on December 1-41 14, 1994, and will continue to have a profound effect on the 1-42 members of his community, and it is fitting that the Hollywood 1-43 Workcenter that he helped establish be named in his memory; now, 1-44 therefore, be it 1-45 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-46 hereby direct that the present Hollywood Workcenter at the Beaumont 1-47 State Center be named the Ben Rogers Employment Training Facility 1-48 as a testament to Mr. Rogers's devotion and service to his 1-49 community; and, be it further 1-50 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 1-51 copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General 1-52 Services Commission. 1-53 * * * * *