1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 620
 1-3           WHEREAS, March 31, 2001, marks the 123rd anniversary of
 1-4     the birth of Jack Johnson, a native of Galveston and the first
 1-5     African American to win the world heavyweight boxing championship;
 1-6     and
 1-7           WHEREAS, After gaining experience as a sparring partner,
 1-8     Mr. Johnson began fighting in private clubs in and around
 1-9     Galveston, and in 1897 he became a professional prizefighter;
1-10     in 1903 he won the Negro heavyweight championship, and five years
1-11     later, in a victorious match in Australia, he staked his claim to
1-12     the world heavyweight championship; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Because of widespread prejudice, he was not
1-14     officially accorded the title until 1910, when he defeated
1-15     former champion Jim Jeffries in Las Vegas; Mr. Johnson continued
1-16     to fight, but in 1913, faced with conviction over a contrived
1-17     charge, he quit the United States and began touring Europe, Mexico,
1-18     and Canada; he retained his championship until 1915; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was in Spain when the United States
1-20     entered World War I, and he became active in United States military
1-21     intelligence; his work helped to prevent German submarine crews
1-22     from landing on the Spanish coast; and
1-23           WHEREAS, Returning to the United States in 1920,
 2-1     Mr. Johnson fought in exhibition matches, refereed fights, and
 2-2     worked with other boxers as a manager and sometimes as a trainer;
 2-3     during World War II he again stepped forward to serve his country
 2-4     by encouraging citizens to buy war bonds; in 1954, eight years
 2-5     after he died in an automobile accident, he was inducted into the
 2-6     Boxing Hall of Fame; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, In 1967 The Great White Hope, a play based
 2-8     loosely on Mr. Johnson's life, premiered in Washington, D.C.; the
 2-9     following year the play moved to Broadway, and James Earl Jones
2-10     and Jane Alexander won Tonys for their performances in the leading
2-11     roles; the drama was made into a film in 1970; and
2-12           WHEREAS, An enormously gifted athlete, Mr. Johnson was
2-13     famous for his flawless boxing and near-perfect defense; he fought
2-14     in 113 matches and lost only six; unbowed in the face of racial
2-15     antagonism, he exhibited great personal courage and, in times of
2-16     national crisis, signal patriotism; now, therefore, be it
2-17           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-18     77th Legislature, hereby recognize March 31, 2001, as Jack Johnson
2-19     Day in honor of this distinguished Texan and exceptional athlete.
2-20                                                                 Jackson
2-21                                  ______________________________________
2-22                                          President of the Senate
2-23                                       I hereby certify that the above
2-24                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
2-25                                  on April 2, 2001.
2-26                                  ______________________________________
2-27                                          Secretary of the Senate
2-28                                  ______________________________________
2-29                                           Member, Texas Senate