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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Houston lost an admired attorney, |
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educator, and civil rights activist with the death of Otis Harold |
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King on November 21, 2012, at the age of 77; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Texarkana on February 3, 1935, Mr. King was |
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the son of Griffin and Eula King; he grew up in the historic Fifth |
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Ward and graduated as salutatorian of Phillis Wheatley High School; |
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as a student at Texas Southern University, he became a star debater, |
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and he and his partner, future congresswoman Barbara Jordan, |
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defeated the Harvard University team in 1956; Mr. King received his |
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bachelor's degree in biology magna cum laude and then served his |
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country in the United States Army for two years; and |
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WHEREAS, After completing his military service, Mr. King |
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earned a law degree at TSU and became involved in the civil rights |
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movement; he participated in numerous protests, including an event |
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now recognized as Houston's first sit-in, and helped organize the |
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Progressive Youth Association and coordinate demonstrations; |
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during the 1960s, he also began teaching in the law school at TSU, |
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and in 1970 he earned a master of laws degree from Harvard |
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University, where he was a Ford Foundation Fellow in Clinical Legal |
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Education; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. King was a professor at the Thurgood Marshall |
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School of Law at TSU for nearly four decades; in the 1970s, he |
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interrupted his distinguished academic career to accept his |
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appointment by Mayor Fred Hofheinz as Houston's first African |
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American city attorney; he was asked to continue in that role in the |
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next administration, but he felt a profound allegiance to the law |
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school and returned to TSU; during his 10 years as dean, he expanded |
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the school's enrollment more than threefold and was a powerful |
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advocate for its advancement; he led a student protest that spurred |
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the university to construct a building for the school, and he |
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traveled frequently to Austin to meet with elected officials |
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regarding the funding needed to hire more faculty and enhance the |
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quality of the institution; and |
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WHEREAS, This talented educator resumed teaching in 1980; two |
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decades later, he retired, but he continued to teach on a part-time |
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basis for a number of years; he maintained many professional |
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affiliations, among them the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar |
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Association, and the National Bar Association; moreover, he was a |
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member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the NAACP; and |
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WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, Mr. King was the father of |
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Byron and Corey King, and he helped raise his stepson, Joncy |
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Rickett; he took great pride in his grandchildren, Jeremy, Cameron, |
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Alan, and Lauren King; a man of many interests, he enjoyed sailing, |
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fishing, writing poetry, and sculpting, and he was a talented |
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painter whose works adorn many homes; and |
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WHEREAS, Otis King made profound contributions to his fellow |
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Texans through his dedication to social progress and to legal |
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education, and although he will be deeply missed, those who were |
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privileged to know him will long remember him for his keen intellect |
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and his unyielding commitment to excellence; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Otis Harold King and |
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extend sincere condolences to his many relatives and friends; and, |
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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 Otis King. |
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Dutton |
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Straus |
M. Gonzalez of El Paso |
Oliveira |
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Allen |
N. Gonzalez of El Paso |
Orr |
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Anderson |
Gutierrez |
Patrick |
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Aycock |
Harper-Brown |
Perry |
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Bell |
Hernandez Luna |
Phillips |
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Bonnen of Brazoria |
Hilderbran |
Pitts |
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Bonnen of Galveston |
Howard |
Price |
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Capriglione |
Keffer |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
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Carter |
King of Hemphill |
Rodriguez of Travis |
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Clardy |
King of Parker |
Rose |
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Coleman |
King of Taylor |
Sanford |
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Collier |
King of Zavala |
Schaefer |
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Cortez |
Klick |
Sheffield of Bell |
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Craddick |
Kolkhorst |
Sheffield of Coryell |
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Crownover |
Kuempel |
Simpson |
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Davis of Dallas |
Lavender |
Springer |
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J. Davis of Harris |
Leach |
Stephenson |
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S. Davis of Harris |
Lewis |
Stickland |
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Dutton |
Lucio III |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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Eiland |
Marquez |
Thompson of Harris |
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Fallon |
Martinez Fischer |
Turner of Collin |
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Farias |
McClendon |
Turner of Harris |
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Farney |
Menendez |
Turner of Tarrant |
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Fletcher |
Miller of Comal |
Villarreal |
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Flynn |
Miller of Fort Bend |
Vo |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 113 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the House on January 30, 2013. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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