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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Two remarkable sisters, Wilhelm Williams Moye of |
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Cedar Lake and Tena Williams Simien of Sweeny, have earned great |
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distinction through their combined eight decades as teachers in |
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Matagorda and Brazoria Counties; and |
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WHEREAS, Recognized as two of the oldest living former |
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teachers in the nation, Mrs. Moye and Mrs. Simien are the last |
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surviving members of a prominent family of educators, and they were |
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on the front lines of desegregation in the 1960s; their father, Joel |
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Williams Sr., was a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute, and he |
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served for nearly 50 years as principal, teacher, and bus driver for |
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the Van Vleck Independent School District; their siblings, the late |
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Joel Williams Jr., Girtha Woodard, Augustus Williams Sr., and Fay |
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Woodard, were all teachers as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1922, Wilhelm Moye is a graduate of Prairie |
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View A&M University, and she began her career in the 1940s at |
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Sargent Colored School; she went on to teach typing, shorthand, |
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bookkeeping, and business math at O. H. Herman High School in the |
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Van Vleck ISD, and in 1965, she became the first African American |
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teacher at Van Vleck High School; she retired in the late 1980s; and |
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WHEREAS, Tena Simien, who was born in 1924, graduated from |
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Jarvis Christian College, and she began her career at Jerusalem |
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Community School in the 1940s; she later taught English at George |
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Washington Carver High School, where she was a supervisor, program |
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director, and sponsor of the drama club; in 1966, she was one of the |
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first six black teachers to be hired at Sweeny Junior High School in |
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the Sweeny ISD; she taught junior high school English until her |
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retirement in 1984; and |
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WHEREAS, Known affectionately as the Queen BEES (for Business |
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and English Education Sisters), Mrs. Moye and Mrs. Simien count |
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many community leaders among their former students, including a |
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school superintendent and a mayor, as well as school board members, |
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coaches, professional football players, city managers, city |
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council members, and bank executives; and |
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WHEREAS, Leaders in their profession, Wilhelm Moye and Tena |
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Simien have made a positive difference in the lives of generations |
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of area Texans, and they have earned the admiration and affection of |
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all who are privileged to know them; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Wilhelm Williams Moye and Tena Williams |
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Simien for their outstanding careers in education and extend to |
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them sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
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for Mrs. Moye and Mrs. Simien as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Bonnen of Brazoria |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1560 was adopted by the House on May |
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17, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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