80R13257 CLE-D

By: Rose H.C.R. No. 191

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, State law stipulates in Section 2165.256, Government Code, that a person specified in a concurrent resolution adopted by the legislature is eligible for burial in the State Cemetery if the State Cemetery Committee finds that the person has made a significant contribution to Texas history and, based on that finding, approves the person's burial; and

WHEREAS, Susana I. Aleman, assistant dean for student affairs at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law for more than two decades, has performed an invaluable service to this state through her positive influence in the lives of countless young people, and her request for burial in the State Cemetery merits approval by the committee; and

WHEREAS, A leader in the fields of education and law, Dean Aleman became the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as assistant dean for student affairs at the UT Austin School of Law when she accepted the position in 1984; and

WHEREAS, During her 21-year tenure she ably counseled thousands of law students on both academic and personal matters and oversaw dozens of graduation services, or Sunflower Ceremonies; in that century-old tradition each graduate is pinned with a sunflower, and Dean Aleman personally handpicked the blooms for nearly every ceremony under her direction; and

WHEREAS, This notable Texan joined the staff of the law school shortly after receiving her doctor of jurisprudence degree from UT Austin; she also holds master's degrees in school administration from the former Texas A&I University-Kingsville and in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin; graduating magna cum laude from UT Austin, she earned her bachelor's degree in secondary education in less than three years; and

WHEREAS, In addition to advising students, Dean Aleman's record of service to her state includes her outstanding work as an educator; she has taught at every level, from prekindergarten to professional school, and she has also served as a student mentor, sorority advisor, and youth development director, as well as a student council advisor and University Interscholastic League academic director in Brooks County, where she was the valedictorian of Falfurrias High School in 1972; she remains a committed advocate of education, recognizing that it creates opportunities for individuals from all segments of society; and

WHEREAS, Her extraordinary dedication to the citizens of Texas is further demonstrated by her service to organizations such as the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Texas, the State Proprietary Schools Advisory Commission, and the Texas Commission for Judicial Efficiency; active in the State Bar of Texas, she has shared her leadership on its Women in the Profession and Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession Committees and been active in the University Interscholastic League State Appellate and State Executive Committees; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association honored Dean Aleman as a Pathfinder, an award that recognizes local women with law degrees who are role models and trailblazers in the community; her numerous honors also include recognition as an Outstanding Leader in 2000-2001 by the Hispanic Faculty/Staff Association of UT Austin and as a Student Bar Association Law Week Dedicatee in 1992, 1998, and 2002; moreover, the Texas Interscholastic League Foundation paid her tribute by naming a scholarship in her honor from 1991 to 1999; and

WHEREAS, In light of her outstanding contributions to the Lone Star State, it is fitting that Susana I. Aleman be allowed to designate the State Cemetery as her final resting place; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby authorize the burial of Susana I. Aleman in the State Cemetery, provided that her application for assignment of burial space is approved by the State Cemetery Commission as required by law.