1-1     By:  Gallegos                                         S.C.R. No. 81

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed May 1, 1997; May 1, 1997, read first

 1-3     time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 7, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0;

 1-5     May 7, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-7           WHEREAS, State law (Section 2165.005, Government Code)

 1-8     stipulates that the name of a state building must be approved and

 1-9     authorized by a concurrent resolution passed by the legislature and

1-10     signed by the governor; and

1-11           WHEREAS, The state office building at 5425 Polk Avenue in

1-12     Houston has never been officially named, and the Tejano Association

1-13     for Historical Preservation has requested that the building be

1-14     named in honor of Elias Ramirez, a prominent Texan and early civil

1-15     rights leader; and

1-16           WHEREAS, A native of Concepcion, Texas, Mr. Ramirez was born

1-17     in 1880 and settled in Houston in 1910; within a few short years,

1-18     he became aware that many Mexican-American citizens and newly

1-19     arrived Mexican immigrants were struggling to establish themselves

1-20     as American citizens while still retaining their proud cultural

1-21     heritage, and he established the Sociedad Mutualista Benito Juarez

1-22     to help them achieve these goals; and

1-23           WHEREAS, This esteemed fraternal organization informed

1-24     Hispanic citizens of their rights and assisted them in obtaining

1-25     educations for their children, while the organization's Mexican

1-26     Patriotic Committee promoted the beauty and history of Mexico's

1-27     rich cultural traditions; and

1-28           WHEREAS, At that time, Mexican-Americans were prohibited from

1-29     enjoying the community's only park, so Mr. Ramirez led a successful

1-30     effort to establish and maintain what is now known as Hidalgo Park;

1-31     this remarkable Texan also helped to establish the first Houston

1-32     council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC),

1-33     and throughout his life, he continually promoted education,

1-34     citizenship, and civic and cultural pride among the young people in

1-35     his community, reminding them that these time-honored ideals held

1-36     the key to their futures; and

1-37           WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez's passing in 1960 brought a great loss

1-38     to his community, but his many achievements and contributions

1-39     provided an ongoing legacy of good works by which to remember him;

1-40     the naming of a state office building in his honor would provide a

1-41     fitting opportunity for all Texans to pay tribute to Elias Ramirez

1-42     for his outstanding service to the people of Houston and the Lone

1-43     Star State; now, therefore, be it

1-44           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-45     hereby name the state building at 5425 Polk Avenue in Houston the

1-46     Elias Ramirez Building; and, be it further

1-47           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

1-48     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General

1-49     Services Commission.

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