By:  Gallegos                                         S.C.R. No. 81

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                            SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, State law (Section 2165.005, Government Code)

 1-2     stipulates that the name of a state building must be approved and

 1-3     authorized by a concurrent resolution passed by the legislature and

 1-4     signed by the governor; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, The state office building at 5425 Polk Avenue in

 1-6     Houston has never been officially named, and the Tejano Association

 1-7     for Historical Preservation has requested that the building be

 1-8     named in honor of Elias Ramirez, a prominent Texan and early civil

 1-9     rights leader; and

1-10           WHEREAS, A native of Concepcion, Texas, Mr. Ramirez was born

1-11     in 1880 and settled in Houston in 1910; within a few short years,

1-12     he became aware that many Mexican-American citizens and newly

1-13     arrived Mexican immigrants were struggling to establish themselves

1-14     as American citizens while still retaining their proud cultural

1-15     heritage, and he established the Sociedad Mutualista Benito Juarez

1-16     to help them achieve these goals; and

1-17           WHEREAS, This esteemed fraternal organization informed

1-18     Hispanic citizens of their rights and assisted them in obtaining

1-19     educations for their children, while the organization's Mexican

1-20     Patriotic Committee promoted the beauty and history of Mexico's

1-21     rich cultural traditions; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, At that time, Mexican-Americans were prohibited from

 2-2     enjoying the community's only park, so Mr. Ramirez led a successful

 2-3     effort to establish and maintain what is now known as Hidalgo Park;

 2-4     this remarkable Texan also helped to establish the first Houston

 2-5     council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC),

 2-6     and throughout his life, he continually promoted education,

 2-7     citizenship, and civic and cultural pride among the young people in

 2-8     his community, reminding them that these time-honored ideals held

 2-9     the key to their futures; and

2-10           WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez's passing in 1960 brought a great loss

2-11     to his community, but his many achievements and contributions

2-12     provided an ongoing legacy of good works by which to remember him;

2-13     the naming of a state office building in his honor would provide a

2-14     fitting opportunity for all Texans to pay tribute to Elias Ramirez

2-15     for his outstanding service to the people of Houston and the Lone

2-16     Star State; now, therefore, be it

2-17           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-18     hereby name the state building at 5425 Polk Avenue in Houston the

2-19     Elias Ramirez Building; and, be it further

2-20           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

2-21     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General

2-22     Services Commission.