82R22098 MMS-D

By: Gallego H.R. No. 1675

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Lucy Rede Franco, a longtime, revered educator in the Presidio Independent School District, is being posthumously inducted into the first Pioneers and Leaders of the State of Texas Hall of Honor at the Presidio middle school bearing her name on May 6, 2011; and

WHEREAS, The oldest of five children, Mrs. Franco was born to Eusebio and Mary Ann Rede on February 3, 1902, in Shafter; she inherited a great love of learning from her father and her mother, who is believed to have been the first person of Mexican descent to teach English in the Big Bend area; a native of Redford, Mary Ann Rede began tutoring Shafter residents in English for two dollars a month in 1895, when she was 17; and

WHEREAS, During Mrs. Franco's youth in Shafter, she spent two years at Sacred Heart Academy, where her academic ability impressed the Irish mother superior; Mother Tarcisus gave her extra schoolwork and coached her for the examination that would enable her to obtain a teaching certificate; and

WHEREAS, In the summer of 1920, Mrs. Franco became the first Hispanic student to enroll at Sul Ross State Normal College; after a year's study at Sul Ross, she passed the teacher qualifying exam and embarked on a lifelong career in education; her first assignment was a one-teacher school in Redford, where she taught 60 students in grades one through eight; and

WHEREAS, Several years after assuming that post, the young schoolmistress met Manuel Franco, a resident of Durango, Mexico, and the couple exchanged wedding vows on December 31, 1924, in Redford; their marriage was blessed with eight children, all of whom became college graduates; and

WHEREAS, Following the birth of her children, Lucy Rede Franco taught for a while in Shafter, but when the silver mines there closed, she and her husband took up farming in Redford; they later moved to Presidio, where Mrs. Franco once more returned to teaching; and

WHEREAS, In 1956, at the age of 54, Mrs. Franco received her bachelor's degree from Sul Ross State College; four years later, she won the Mother of Texas award, an accolade presented by the American Mothers Committee, and as part of that recognition, she attended a banquet in New York City celebrating the winners from every state; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Franco taught for 33 years in the Presidio ISD, ultimately retiring in 1972; in 1985, eight years after her death, the Presidio ISD paid tribute to her outstanding service by naming the Lucy Rede Franco Middle School in her honor; in 2007, family members established the Lucy Rede Franco Scholarship Endowment and Fund, which provides grants to Presidio High School graduates enrolled at Sul Ross; and

WHEREAS, Franco family members from across the state are gathering at Lucy Rede Franco Middle School on May 6, 2011, to participate in the induction ceremony for Mrs. Franco, which is being sponsored by The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance Day Foundation of El Paso; and

WHEREAS, An exceptionally dedicated and gifted educator, Lucy Rede Franco enriched the lives of countless children in Presidio County, and she inspired in all who knew her a deeper appreciation of learning and of service to others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 6, 2011, as Lucy Rede Franco Day in acknowledgment of Mrs. Franco's significant contributions to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Franco family members as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.