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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, John Saunders Chase, Jr., is being honored at a |
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celebration of the 120th anniversary of the First Shiloh Missionary |
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Baptist Church in Houston for designing and building the current |
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church and for his pioneering contributions in the field of |
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architecture; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Annapolis, Maryland, to Viola Hall Chase and |
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John Saunders Chase, Sr., on January 23, 1925, John Chase earned a |
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bachelor's degree from Hampton University in Virginia and then came |
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to Austin to work; he was one of the first two African Americans to |
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enroll at The University of Texas at Austin when its graduate |
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programs were desegregated in 1950, and he was the first African |
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American to graduate from the university's architecture school when |
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he did so in 1952; and |
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WHEREAS, That same year, Mr. Chase joined Texas Southern |
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University as an assistant professor of architectural drafting and |
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started his own firm; his career began with designs for churches, |
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schools, houses, and small public buildings; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Chase was the first African American licensed |
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architect in Texas and later became the first African American |
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admitted to the Texas Society of Architects and the Houston chapter |
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of the American Institute of Architects; he cofounded the National |
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Organization of Minority Architects in 1971 and was appointed by |
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President Jimmy Carter in 1980 to serve on the United States |
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Commission of Fine Arts, becoming the first African American to |
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serve on that commission; and |
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WHEREAS, Responsible for many major Houston community |
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buildings, Mr. Chase's firm designed the George R. Brown Convention |
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Center and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at TSU; his work on |
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Booker T. Washington High School garnered him awards from the |
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Houston Independent School District and the Texas Association of |
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School Boards, and he has been further recognized with election to |
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the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows and with |
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the institute's Whitney M. Young, Jr., Award; he is also the |
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recipient of four consecutive Design for Excellence awards from the |
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National Organization of Minority Architects; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Chase was the first African American to be |
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designated a Distinguished Alumnus by the Texas Exes association, |
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and he became the first African American to lead that association in |
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1998; he has shared his time and talents as a member of the boards of |
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Hampton University, Huston-Tillotson University, and the Houston |
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chapter of the American Red Cross, among other major organizations |
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and institutions; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Chase enjoys the love |
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and support of his wife, Drucie, and his children, John, Anthony, |
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and Saundria; and |
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WHEREAS, John Chase has made a positive difference in his |
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community, state, and nation, and the barriers he broke with so many |
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of his accomplishments ensure that his remarkable legacy will not |
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soon be forgotten; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor John Saunders Chase, Jr., for his |
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achievements in the field of architecture and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Chase as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Dutton |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 806 was adopted by the House on March |
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16, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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