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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Dallas lost an admired civic and |
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spiritual leader with the passing of Dr. Charles Alvin Maurice |
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Hunter on June 12, 2011, at the age of 85; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Longview on May 7, 1926, Charles Hunter |
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graduated from Bishop College in 1947 and earned a bachelor's |
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degree in divinity from Howard University; he went on to earn his |
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master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees from Philadelphia |
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Divinity School and an additional master's degree from North Texas |
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State University; after serving as pastor of Trinity Congregational |
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Churches in Tallahassee, Florida, and Athens, Alabama, he moved to |
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Dallas and led the Hope, Glendale, and St. Luke Presbyterian |
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Churches before joining Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church as assistant |
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pastor; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Hunter became the first African American elected |
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as presiding officer of the Northeast Texas Presbytery and served |
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as moderator of Grace Presbytery and the Synod of the Sun of the |
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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); in addition, he chaired the |
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peacemaking committee of Grace Presbytery and created its |
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multicultural conference, which evolved into one of the |
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denomination's popular national events; he was a mentor to many |
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people and touched countless lives in other countries through his |
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mission activities in places such as Nicaragua and Haiti; and |
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WHEREAS, A gifted educator, Dr. Hunter taught sociology at |
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Bishop College and became department director for both sociology |
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and urban affairs; he also served as an adjunct professor at |
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Southern Methodist University, The University of Texas at |
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Arlington, El Centro College, and Richland Community College; |
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moreover, he taught at the Dallas Police Academy and worked in |
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research and development for the Dallas Independent School |
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District; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the first African Americans to run for the |
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Dallas school board, Dr. Hunter served as a Dallas County precinct |
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chair and election judge for more than four decades; he began |
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working to improve race relations in the city in the early 1960s, |
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and in 1968 he formed the Amigos, a multicultural social |
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organization that sponsored picnics, movies, potluck dinners, and |
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other outings to bring together people of diverse ethnicity; while |
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serving on the board of the Greater Dallas Housing and Opportunity |
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Center, he developed and conducted surveys of housing patterns to |
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identify discrimination in the sale and rental of real estate, and |
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he became one of the first to integrate Oak Cliff; greatly |
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benefiting his fellow citizens, he gave generously of his time and |
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expertise as a member of the boards of the Dallas Peace Center, the |
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Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas, the Trinity River |
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Authority, and the Greater Dallas Community of Churches; he further |
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served as director of the Common Ground Credit Union and wrote a |
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column on racial matters for the Dallas Examiner; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Dr. Hunter enjoyed the |
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affection and support of his loved ones, including his wife, Annie, |
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and his daughter Alpha, who preceded him in death, as well as his |
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children Rhonda, Rhashell, Byron, and Rosalyn; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Charles Hunter made a lasting, positive impact |
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in Dallas and beyond, and although he will be deeply missed, his |
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dedication to his faith, his family, and his community will remain a |
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lasting source of inspiration to all who were privileged to know |
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this wise and compassionate Texan; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Dr. Charles Alvin Maurice Hunter and extend sincere condolences to |
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the members of his family: to his children, Rhonda Hunter, the |
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Reverend Dr. Rhashell Hunter, Byron Hunter, and Rosalyn Hunter; to |
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his sisters, Delores Simms and Dorothy Griffin; to his brother, |
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Julian Hunter; to his three grandchildren; and to his other |
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relatives and friends; 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 Dr. Charles |
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A. Hunter. |