|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, The year 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the |
|
naming of Dr. Gloria Dean Randle Scott as the first African |
|
American president of the Girl Scouts of America, an event that |
|
signaled a new era of progress for the national youth organization; |
|
and |
|
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Houston, Gloria Scott was a |
|
member of Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 155 at Jack Yates Secondary |
|
School, at a time when segregation was still rampant; her early |
|
experiences in scouting helped her develop leadership skills, and |
|
she eventually served as president of the Negro Girl Scout Senior |
|
Planning Board in the 1950s; and |
|
WHEREAS, After graduating from high school in 1955, Ms. Scott |
|
pursued her studies at Indiana University, where she earned a |
|
bachelor's and a master's degree before completing her Ph.D. in |
|
education; while attending Indiana University, she served as a |
|
research associate in genetics and embryology at its Institute of |
|
Psychiatric Research; she also taught biology at Marian College |
|
during this time, becoming the first African American instructor at |
|
a predominately white institution in Indianapolis; later, she |
|
served as deputy director of the Upward Bound program in Knoxville |
|
and in several administrative and planning positions at North |
|
Carolina A&T State University; and |
|
WHEREAS, From 1975 to 1978, Dr. Scott led the Girl Scouts of |
|
America as president, and throughout her tenure, she worked |
|
diligently to further the goals of the organization and to foster |
|
cooperation with international scouting groups; in the final year |
|
of her presidency, the Girl Scouts adopted its iconic trefoil logo, |
|
which features the stylized silhouettes of three girls as a symbol |
|
of diversity; and |
|
WHEREAS, This dynamic woman went on to assume other |
|
administrative posts at Texas Southern University in Houston and |
|
Clark College in Atlanta, until 1987, when she was appointed |
|
president of Bennett College, a historically black women's college |
|
in Greensboro, North Carolina; she retired from that office in 2001 |
|
and today resides in Corpus Christi; and |
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Scott's pioneering work has been recognized |
|
with a long list of accolades over the years; the recipient of six |
|
honorary degrees, she was also conferred the Urban League Star |
|
Award, the 2009 Star of Texas Award, and League of Women Voters |
|
awards in 2008 and 2010; and |
|
WHEREAS, In addition to her membership in Delta Sigma Theta |
|
Sorority, Dr. Scott has been deeply involved in her community and |
|
chaired the Corpus Christi Juneteenth Coalition for several years; |
|
she serves as president of G. Randle Services, a consulting firm, |
|
and is active in the Corpus Christi Black Chamber of Commerce; in |
|
2005, she successfully brought a federal lawsuit to prevent the |
|
demolition of Solomon Coles High School, and in the decade since, |
|
she has led the school's PTA and participated extensively in |
|
volunteer efforts benefiting the school and its students; and |
|
WHEREAS, An inspiring role model for women and girls |
|
everywhere, Dr. Gloria Dean Randle Scott contributed greatly to the |
|
stature of the Girl Scouts while blazing a trail of achievement in |
|
multiple areas of endeavor, and her remarkable service is indeed |
|
worthy of special reflection and praise; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby commemorate the 40th anniversary of the naming |
|
of Dr. Gloria Dean Randle Scott as president of the Girl Scouts of |
|
America and pay special tribute to Dr. Scott's admirable record of |
|
accomplishment. |