HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Texans, and indeed individuals around the world, 1-2 were greatly saddened by the passing of the Honorable Barbara 1-3 Charline Jordan on January 17, 1996, and we join her family and 1-4 many friends in mourning the death of one of the most notable 1-5 American political figures of the century; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Her achievement of a remarkable series of historic 1-7 firsts assures Barbara Jordan a place in history, but her true 1-8 legacy cannot be fully conveyed by her long list of 1-9 accomplishments; her life and career remain touchstones for those 1-10 who struggle against injustice and discrimination, and her profound 1-11 commitment to the democratic process shaped the way in which 1-12 millions of Americans perceive their government; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Born February 21, 1936, to B. M. and Arlyne Jordan, 1-14 Barbara Jordan grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward; in 1947 Mr. Jordan 1-15 became a Baptist minister, and the young Barbara spent many hours 1-16 in Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, listening intently to her father's 1-17 sermons and to the gospel music that she cherished throughout her 1-18 life; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The Jordans instilled in their daughters their own 1-20 high standards of conduct and achievement, and Barbara's obvious 1-21 intellectual gifts and self-possession were sharpened and 1-22 strengthened by the discipline demanded of her; she excelled at 1-23 academics and at debate, and by her sophomore year in high school 1-24 had decided to become a lawyer; and 2-1 WHEREAS, The pursuit of her goal led her from Texas Southern 2-2 University, where she graduated with high honors, to Boston 2-3 University School of Law, where she was the only woman in a class 2-4 of 128, and upon receiving her law degree she returned to Houston 2-5 and established her law practice; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Having made up her mind to seek elective office, she 2-7 twice ran unsuccessfully for state representative before winning a 2-8 seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the first 2-9 African-American woman to do so; she quickly established herself as 2-10 one of that body's ablest members, and after a brief but brilliant 2-11 career in the legislature made political history once again in 1972 2-12 by becoming the first African-American to be elected to the United 2-13 States Congress from the State of Texas; and 2-14 WHEREAS, She first achieved national prominence on July 25, 2-15 1974, when the House Judiciary Committee opened impeachment 2-16 proceedings against President Richard Nixon, and the country 2-17 watched spellbound as the young congresswoman from Texas delivered 2-18 her opening statement; her ringing affirmation of belief in the 2-19 United States Constitution, a document that when written would have 2-20 excluded her from its protections, reawakened hope and patriotic 2-21 feeling in millions of Americans whose faith in their government 2-22 had been severely shaken; and 2-23 WHEREAS, Her permanent presence in the national consciousness 2-24 was reconfirmed in 1976, when she delivered a keynote address at 2-25 the Democratic Party's national convention, and the high regard in 2-26 which she was held by constituents and colleagues alike continued 2-27 unabated throughout her life; among many other appointments, she 3-1 served as special counsel for ethics under former Texas Governor 3-2 Ann W. Richards, chaired the United States Commission on 3-3 Immigration Reform, and was appointed by United Nations Secretary 3-4 General Javier Perez de Cuellar to a United Nations panel on the 3-5 effects of corporate investment on apartheid in South Africa; and 3-6 WHEREAS, Upon retiring from Congress in January of 1979, she 3-7 joined the faculty of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public 3-8 Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where she taught 3-9 until the end of her life; one of the school's most popular 3-10 professors, she was also a loyal and vocal supporter of her beloved 3-11 Lady Longhorns basketball team and was a familiar courtside 3-12 presence at home games; and 3-13 WHEREAS, Barbara Jordan's impact on the nation's history is 3-14 apparent from the distinctions accorded her during her lifetime; 3-15 inducted into both the National Women's Hall of Fame and the 3-16 African-American Hall of Fame, she was also named one of the 20th 3-17 century's most influential American women, and in 1994 President 3-18 Bill Clinton presented her with the nation's highest civilian 3-19 honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for her distinguished 3-20 advocacy of civil rights and governmental ethics; and 3-21 WHEREAS, Far from diminishing in importance, Barbara Jordan's 3-22 formidable legacy continues to challenge and inspire us in our own 3-23 lives, and whenever we battle the twin poisons of racism and 3-24 sexism, whenever we give deeply of ourselves to help those less 3-25 fortunate, whenever we struggle to do what is right rather than 3-26 what is easy, Barbara Jordan's indomitable spirit and profound 3-27 influence are once again felt; now, therefore, be it 4-1 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas, 4-2 Regular Session, 1997, hereby pay tribute to the memory of the 4-3 Honorable Barbara C. Jordan and extend sincere sympathy to the 4-4 members of her family: to her mother, Arlyne Jordan; to her 4-5 sisters, Bennie Creswell and Rose Mary McGowan; and to all the 4-6 relatives, friends, colleagues, and many admirers of this 4-7 distinguished American; and, be it further 4-8 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 4-9 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas 4-10 House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in 4-11 memory of the Honorable Barbara C. Jordan. Thompson Laney Gutierrez Oliveira Alexander Haggerty Olivo Allen Hamric Palmer Alvarado Hartnett Patterson Averitt Hawley Pickett Bailey Heflin Pitts Berlanga Hernandez Place Bonnen Hightower Price Bosse Hilbert Puente Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck Burnam Hill Ramsay Carter Hinojosa Rangel Chavez Hirschi Raymond Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas Clark Holzheauser Rhodes Coleman Horn Rodriguez Cook Howard Roman Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Seaman Crabb Isett Serna Craddick Jackson Shields Cuellar Janek Siebert Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee Davila Junell Solis Davis Kamel Solomons Delisi Keel Staples Denny Keffer Stiles Driver King Swinford Dukes Krusee Talton Dunnam Kubiak Telford Dutton Kuempel Thompson Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman Elkins Luna Turner of Harris Farrar McCall Uher Finnell McClendon Van de Putte Flores McReynolds Walker Gallego Madden West Galloway Marchant Williams Garcia Maxey Williamson Giddings Merritt Wilson Glaze Moffat Wise Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth Goolsby Mowery Wolens Gray Naishtat Woolley Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 90 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on March 20, 1997. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 90 was adopted by the Senate on May 7, 1997, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _______________________ Date _______________________ Governor