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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the inspiring faith |
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and leadership of the Reverend Hamice R. James, Jr., of San Antonio, |
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who died on October 14, 2006, at the age of 77; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on April 19, 1929, in Fayette County, Reverend |
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James was the son of the Reverend H. R. James, Sr., and Bettie W. |
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James; he moved with his family to San Antonio in 1942 and graduated |
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from Phillis Wheatley High School in 1947; a member of the U.S. Army |
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for nine years, he served with the 25th Regiment of the Buffalo |
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Soldiers; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to San Antonio after his military service, |
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Reverend James attended St. Philip's College and St. Mary's |
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University and went on to enroll at Harvard; he answered the call to |
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the ministry in 1970, studied at the Southwestern Baptist |
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Theological Seminary, and succeeded his father as pastor of |
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Emmanuel Baptist Church; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his responsibilities with the church, |
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Reverend James had a successful secular career; he was the first |
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African American employment counselor at the Texas Employment |
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Commission and the first black cost analyst with the City of San |
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Antonio Water Board; he further distinguished himself as an |
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educator and administrator at St. Philip's College, where he held |
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the positions of instructor, vice president of academic affairs, |
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and interim president before retiring in 1995; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan's civic contributions included |
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his participation on the board of the Guadalupe District |
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Association, which he served as chair, and the board of the George |
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Gervin Youth Center; a lifetime member of the NAACP, he also served |
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as CEO of the HBJ Foundation, which cosponsored the Carolyn Care |
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Center with Emmanuel Baptist Church; and |
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WHEREAS, Hamice James lived a caring and purposeful life, and |
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although his death has brought great sorrow to his family and his |
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congregation, he leaves behind a legacy of good works that will long |
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resonate in the community; 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 life of the Reverend Hamice R. |
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James, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Rhonda S. James; to his children, Patricia |
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James, Marsha James, Vickie Fortson and her husband, Roosevelt, |
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Steven James and his wife, Pam, and John H. James, and to their |
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mother, Ethel James; to his sons, Hamice R. James III and his wife, |
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Monaque, and Hilton R. James; to his stepsons, Jarrod Slaughter and |
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Jerrell Slaughter and his wife, Bernice; to his brother, Nathaniel |
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James and his wife, Betty; to his sisters, Virlee Bibbs and her |
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husband, James, and Barbara O. James; to his 12 grandchildren and |
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his great-grandchild; and to the other relatives and many friends |
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of this esteemed gentleman; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the |
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Reverend Hamice R. James, Jr. |
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McClendon |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2100 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 25, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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