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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Wesley Hardeman, a longtime Fort Worth resident, |
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made history when he became the first African American to be |
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appointed deputy sheriff in Tarrant County; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hardeman assumed the duties of that post in |
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1955, following his appointment to the office by Sheriff Harlon |
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Wright; during his five-year tenure with the department, Mr. |
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Hardeman earned numerous certificates and organized and trained a |
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junior deputy sheriff's auxiliary, which proved to be highly |
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effective in curbing juvenile delinquency; though he faced |
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challenges above and beyond those confronting his white |
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counterparts, including discriminatory personnel policies and |
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threats to his family, he discharged his duties with exemplary |
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courage, dignity, and professionalism; and |
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WHEREAS, Wesley Hardeman was born in Lockhart on June 10, |
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1906, and graduated from Cleburne High School before moving to Fort |
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Worth with his parents; he subsequently resided in Austin while |
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attending Samuel Huston College; a gifted athlete, he played |
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college and professional football and also professional baseball, a |
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sport in which his deft outfielding and .300 batting average earned |
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him more than a little notice; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1945, Mr. Hardeman graduated from the American |
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Detective Training School of New York, an important step toward |
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fulfilling his longtime dream of working in the field of law |
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enforcement; he also completed courses offered by the Master |
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Detective Association of Washington, D.C.; having completed his |
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training, he opened the Hardeman Detective Agency in Fort Worth, |
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one of the first such agencies to be operated by an African American |
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in the southern United States; and |
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WHEREAS, Eventually, Mr. Hardeman expanded his business by |
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offering a night patrol service; he later opened a restaurant and |
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pool hall in the Stop Six neighborhood and became part owner of a |
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local African American newspaper; and |
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WHEREAS, Wesley Hardeman took a deep interest in the welfare |
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of the African American people and in the well-being of his |
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community; his concern for others was reflective of his strong |
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religious faith and was expressed in countless acts of kindness and |
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generosity rendered in the service of those in need; a steadfast |
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champion of area youth, he volunteered as a mentor with the YMCA of |
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Fort Worth and Tarrant County; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed gentleman married Georgia Mae Wallace |
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in 1938 and the Hardemans shared a rewarding union until her passing |
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in 1955; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of Mr. Hardeman's contributions to |
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the community, he was chosen to serve as the grand marshal of |
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several parades staged by Fort Worth's African American citizens; |
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on February 16, 2007, a portrait of Mr. Hardeman, who died in 1966, |
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was unveiled in the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office; when that |
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department moves into its new building in 2008, Mr. Hardeman's |
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portrait will go on display in the sheriff's office museum; and |
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WHEREAS, A distinguished community leader and a skilled and |
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dedicated lawman, Wesley Hardeman did honor to the office of the |
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Tarrant County sheriff, and it is indeed fitting that he be |
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recognized for the part he played in advancing the cause of a more |
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just and inclusive society; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Wesley Hardeman for |
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his trailblazing achievement in being the first African American to |
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serve as a Tarrant County deputy sheriff; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Hardeman's family as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |