H.R. No. 220

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, March 31, 2009, marks the 131st anniversary of the
	birth of Jack Johnson, a native of Galveston and the first African
	American to win the world heavyweight boxing championship; and
	WHEREAS, After gaining experience as a sparring partner,
	Mr. Johnson began fighting in private clubs in and around
	Galveston, and in 1897 he became a professional prizefighter; in
	1903, he won the Negro heavyweight championship, and five years
	later, in a victorious match in Australia, he claimed the world
	heavyweight title; and
	WHEREAS, Outraged by Mr. Johnson's triumph, numerous
	commentators voiced the racial prejudice common in the early 1900s
	and called for his defeat by a white boxer; eventually, a bout was
	arranged with Jim Jeffries, a former heavyweight champion; on July
	4, 1910, Mr. Johnson knocked out his foe in the 15th round to retain
	his title; his reign as heavyweight champ extended for five years,
	but his life underwent a major change in 1913, when he was convicted
	on a contrived charge; to avoid a yearlong prison sentence, he fled
	the country and settled in Europe; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was in Spain when the United States
	entered World War I, and he became active in U.S. military
	intelligence; his work helped to prevent German submarine crews
	from landing on the Spanish coast; and
	WHEREAS, After returning to the United States in 1920,
	Mr. Johnson served his prison sentence and also fought in
	exhibition matches, refereed fights, and worked with other boxers
	as a manager and sometimes as a trainer; during World War II, he
	again stepped forward to serve his country by encouraging citizens
	to buy war bonds; in 1954, eight years after he died in an
	automobile accident, he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame;
	and
	WHEREAS, In 1967, The Great White Hope, a play based loosely
	on Mr. Johnson's life, premiered in Washington, D.C.; the following
	year, the play moved to Broadway, and James Earl Jones and Jane
	Alexander won Tony Awards for their performances in the leading
	roles; the drama was made into a film in 1970; and
	WHEREAS, An enormously gifted athlete, Mr. Johnson was
	famous for his flawless boxing and near-perfect defense; he fought
	in 113 matches and lost only 6; unbowed in the face of racism, he
	exhibited great personal courage and, in times of national crisis,
	signal patriotism; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize March 31, 2009, as Jack Johnson Day at
	the State Capitol in honor of this distinguished Texan and
	exceptional athlete.
	Eiland
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 220 was adopted by the House on
	February 26, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House