1-1     By:  Noriega (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos)             H.C.R. No. 111
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999;
 1-3     May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Administration; May 13, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 13, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                         HOUSE 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 76th 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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