By:  Madla                                              S.R. No. 93

 1-1                                       1

 1-2                              SENATE RESOLUTION

 1-3           WHEREAS, Joyce Sowells is being inducted into the 1997

 1-4     Counting My Blessings Hall of Fame of the Century, and the

 1-5     Texas Senate is proud to recognize her; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, A native of San Antonio, she is the daughter

 1-7     of Mrs. Helena Cuffins and the late Joe Dawson; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, A 1942 graduate of Phyliss Wheatley High School,

 1-9     Mrs. Sowells graduated from Southern University of Baton Rouge,

1-10     Louisiana, with a bachelor of science degree; later Mrs. Sowells

1-11     earned her master of education degree in health and physical

1-12     education and furthered her postgraduate studies at several

1-13     prestigious universities; and

1-14           WHEREAS, A woman who has spent years in the educational

1-15     field, Mrs. Sowells has been president, vice president, and

1-16     secretary of the Alamo City Teachers Association, Secretary for

1-17     Bexar County Teachers Credit Union, and a member of the Area I

1-18     Administrators Advisory Board; and

1-19           WHEREAS, With a desire to give back to her community, she

1-20     has been a board member of the Beautify San Antonio Association,

1-21     served on the Martin Luther King Commission for the City-Education

1-22     Committee, and was active with the Friends of the Library-Carver

1-23     Branch; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, An honorary life member of the Texas Congress of

 2-2     PTA, Joyce Sowells is a life member of the National Education

 2-3     Association, and she won the 1959 Community Award in Education

 2-4     of the Alamo Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association and

 2-5     Alamo Chamber of Commerce; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, A winner of the Education Award of Delta Sigma Theta

 2-7     Sorority, she won the 1986 Living Legacy Award in Education

 2-8     from the Alamo City Chamber of Commerce, is a life member of

 2-9     the National Councils of Negro Women, is a golden life member

2-10     of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, was inducted into the San Antonio

2-11     Women's Hall of Fame in 1987, was awarded the 1995 San Antonio

2-12     Black Achievement Award in Education for Commitment to Excellence,

2-13     and in 1996 was one of 87 women honored in Texas by the National

2-14     Council of Negro Women in their Tribute to Black Women Community

2-15     Leaders; and

2-16           WHEREAS, A devout Christian, Joyce Sowells is a member of

2-17     Saint Philip's Episcopal Church; she is president of the Women of

2-18     Saint Philip's Episcopal Church and a member of the Saint Philip's

2-19     Episcopal Church Women's Choir; now, therefore, be it

2-20           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-21     75th Legislature, hereby commend Joyce Sowells on her induction

2-22     into the 1997 Counting My Blessings Hall of Fame of the Century

2-23     and extend to her best wishes for the future; and, be it further

2-24           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

2-25     her as an expression of the high regard of the Texas Senate.

 3-1                                  ______________________________________

 3-2                                          President of the Senate

 3-3                                       I hereby certify that the above

 3-4                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

 3-5                                  on January 30, 1997.

 3-6                                  ______________________________________

 3-7                                          Secretary of the Senate

 3-8                                  ______________________________________

 3-9                                           Member, Texas Senate