TITLE: In memory of Lee Elliott Brown.

SUMMARY: In memory of Lee Elliott Brown.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and pays tribute to the remarkable life of Lee Elliott Brown, who died March 25, 2013, at the age of 74; and WHEREAS, This dynamic public servant was widely respected for her work on behalf of women and minorities; she was a speaker for the voiceless and a champion of the underserved; and WHEREAS, Born April 15, 1938, in New York, Lee Brown began her educational career at the age of 33, earning her bachelor's, master's, and doctor of jurisprudence degrees in rapid succession; after moving to Texas in 1977, she became the first woman and the first African American to be appointed as director of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions at the University of Houston; and WHEREAS, Lee Brown made tremendous strides for minorities as a civic leader; Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire appointed her as director of Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance, a post she held from 1984 to 1994; during that time, she established the Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprises program, which was much emulated nationwide; and WHEREAS, In 1993, Texas governor Ann Richards appointed her to the Task Force on Discrimination in Contracting; the governor also appointed her to the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation board of directors; and WHEREAS, During her extensive career of civic engagement, she served on the Houston Police Department Grievance Process Task Force and was a board member of the Houston Community Housing Resource Board; for her unfaltering vision and steadfast determination, she received numerous awards and honors, including the Pope John Paul XXIII Medal; and WHEREAS, Fiercely committed to the pursuit of social justice, Lee Brown was beloved by her friends and family alike for her strong sense of fairness and her profound devotion to helping justice prevail; she leaves behind an exemplary legacy that will long be cherished by all those who knew her; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved family of Lee Elliott Brown; and, be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lee Brown. Ellis President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 2, 2013, by a rising vote.