By:  Gallegos                                         S.C.R. No. 30
         99S0382/1                           
                            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
1-22           WHEREAS, At that time, Mexican-Americans were prohibited from
1-23     enjoying the community's only park, so Mr. Ramirez led a successful
 2-1     effort to establish and maintain what is now known as Hidalgo Park;
 2-2     this remarkable Texan also helped to establish the first Houston
 2-3     council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC),
 2-4     and throughout his life, he continually promoted education,
 2-5     citizenship, and civic and cultural pride among the young people in
 2-6     his community, reminding them that these time-honored ideals held
 2-7     the key to their futures; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez's passing in 1960 brought a great loss
 2-9     to his community, but his many achievements and contributions
2-10     provided an ongoing legacy of good works by which to remember him;
2-11     the naming of a state office building in his honor would provide a
2-12     fitting opportunity for all Texans to pay tribute to Elias Ramirez
2-13     for his outstanding service to the people of Houston and the Lone
2-14     Star State; now, therefore, be it
2-15           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-16     hereby name the state building at 5425 Polk Avenue in Houston the
2-17     Elias Ramirez Building; and, be it further
2-18           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
2-19     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General
2-20     Services Commission.