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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Henrietta Eugene Roberts Stevenson of San Antonio is |
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being honored as a Diamond Member by the Alpha Tau Omega Chapter of |
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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., on June 13, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of the Alamo City, Mrs. Stevenson was born |
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on July 24, 1915, the granddaughter of former slaves; her father |
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grew up on a plantation in Mississippi, and her mother, the former |
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Ira Aldridge Kirkpatrick, was the granddaughter of runaway slave |
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Madison Kirkpatrick; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Stevenson graduated from Douglas Senior High |
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School and received a $25 scholarship to Fisk University, and she |
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completed her freshman year at St. Philip's College in San Antonio; |
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she went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees from the |
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University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where she was initiated into |
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the Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and served as its |
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president; and |
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WHEREAS, Following completion of her education, Mrs. |
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Stevenson accepted a position at Samuel Huston College in Austin |
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and became a charter member of the Beta Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha |
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Kappa Alpha; she went on to teach Spanish at St. Philip's College, |
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support the war effort as a clerk for the War Department Office of |
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Dependency Benefits, and become the first African American educator |
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in the Morristown, New Jersey, public school system; and |
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WHEREAS, She continued her affiliation with Alpha Kappa |
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Alpha, serving as president of the Beta Alpha Omega Chapter in |
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Newark, New Jersey from 1960 to 1962, and in 1971, she returned to |
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San Antonio and transferred to the Alpha Tau Omega Chapter; she |
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taught at Laura Steele Elementary before retiring in 1982; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Stevenson has also made generous contributions |
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to her community; an active member of the NAACP since 1952, she was |
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co-chair of the 1983 Freedom Fund Dinner and the Branch Voting |
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Rights Roundtable and a founding member of the Carver Community |
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Cultural Center Volunteers; she earned the 2008 Service Award from |
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Carver Volunteers, the 2007 African American Reflections Sojourner |
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Truth Advocacy Award, and the 1993 Top Ladies of Distinction |
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Volunteer Service Award for her selfless efforts; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Stevenson was also honored with a Service Award |
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from Huston-Tillotson College, a St. Philip's College Presidential |
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Award for Service on the Centennial Celebration Committee, and a |
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Curry Award from the United Negro College Fund; in addition, she is |
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a conservator of the Schomburg Society for the Preservation of |
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Black Culture, a 2002 Inductee into the San Antonio Women's Hall of |
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Fame, and a recipient of a Headliner Award in the category of |
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education from the Association for Women in Communications; and |
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WHEREAS, Henrietta Stevenson has inspired countless people |
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with her unwavering commitment to serving others, and she is indeed |
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deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Henrietta Eugene Roberts Stevenson |
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on being recognized as a Diamond Member by the Alpha Tau Omega |
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Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and extend to her sincere best |
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wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Stevenson as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |