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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Respected Houston coach Oliver Brown passed away on |
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May 1, 2013, at the age of 81, and his loss is keenly felt by all |
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those who were privileged to know him; and |
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WHEREAS, An accomplished athlete as well as a coach, Oliver |
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Brown earned his nickname, "Show," while playing football at Texas |
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Southern University, and he was a member of the 1952 TSU team that |
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claimed the National Negro Championship; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his outstanding career in |
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education, Coach Brown worked at a number of campuses in the Houston |
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Independent School District, including Lockett Junior High School, |
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Worthing High School, and Phillis Wheatley High School, and he |
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coached teams in track and field, football, and basketball; he was |
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also the founder of the Obie Williams Relays and served as the |
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event's director from 1967 to 1997; and |
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WHEREAS, Coach Brown mentored a number of athletes who went |
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on to notable success; while working as a defensive coordinator at |
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Worthing, he coached Mike Singletary, who later played for the |
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Chicago Bears and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, |
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and he also guided Cliff Branch, who won three Super Bowl |
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championships with the Oakland Raiders; as a track coach, he |
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trained sprinter Debra Edwards, who competed in the Olympics in |
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1972 and 1976; many other track and field competitors excelled |
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under his direction as well, and his teams won numerous district and |
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regional titles and a state championship in 1966; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of his remarkable achievements as a |
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teacher, role model, and motivator, Coach Brown was named a Hall of |
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Honor inductee by the Houston Coaches Association, the Gulf Coast |
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Scholastic Track Coaches Association, and the Texas |
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African-American Coaches Association; moreover, he compiled a long |
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list of coach of the year and outstanding service awards before his |
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retirement in 1998 after four decades with Houston ISD; and |
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WHEREAS, Oliver Brown devoted himself to the worthy goal of |
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helping young people to learn the values of responsibility and hard |
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work, and in so doing, he made a positive difference in the lives of |
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countless Houston students; 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 Oliver Brown and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family, to his |
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colleagues and friends, and to the many individuals who benefited |
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from his leadership; 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 Oliver |
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Brown. |
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Miles |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2785 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 24, 2013. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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