| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 112 2932 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 233 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Berry of the 56 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | and Jones of the 60 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 9 | | Recognizing February 18, 2025, as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol; and for |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1 |
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| 11 | 11 | | other purposes.2 |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was established in 1988 upon the consolidation of its3 |
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| 13 | 13 | | two parent institutions: Atlanta University, founded in 1865 by the American Missionary4 |
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| 14 | 14 | | Association, and Clark University, founded in 1869 by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the5 |
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| 15 | 15 | | Methodist Episcopal Church and later renamed Clark College; and6 |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to7 |
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| 17 | 17 | | serve a primarily African American student population; and8 |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, the university's four schools offer 40 academic programs to 3,920 students9 |
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| 19 | 19 | | annually, contributing to the future workforce through training in technology, engineering,10 |
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| 20 | 20 | | and education as well as fostering leadership within Georgia; and11 |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has launched its first comprehensive campaign,12 |
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| 22 | 22 | | Centered on Lifting Lives and Leading the Way, a ten-year initiative aimed at raising $25013 |
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| 23 | 23 | | million to support catalytic investments in students, faculty, infrastructure, and research,14 |
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| 24 | 24 | | including efforts to cure prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease, promote entrepreneurship,15 |
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| 25 | 25 | | H. R. 233 |
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| 26 | 26 | | - 1 - 25 LC 112 2932 |
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| 27 | 27 | | and address social and racial injustices, distinguishing Clark Atlanta University as an |
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| 28 | 28 | | 16 |
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| 29 | 29 | | institution of choice; and17 |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University received a record-breaking 46,414 applications for the18 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Class of 2028, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year and an 18 percent19 |
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| 32 | 32 | | increase since 2022, with an average admitted first-time freshman GPA of 3.7, up from 2.920 |
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| 33 | 33 | | in 2021; and21 |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University's economic impact on the State of Georgia consists of22 |
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| 35 | 35 | | $541 million in combined gross sales, a direct impact of $400 million, and labor producing23 |
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| 36 | 36 | | 3,282 full- and part-time jobs that contribute to Georgia's economy; and24 |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is a founding member of the Georgia Research25 |
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| 38 | 38 | | Alliance and is home to the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, one26 |
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| 39 | 39 | | of the nation's largest academic prostate cancer research centers, which provides27 |
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| 40 | 40 | | opportunities for high-caliber basic and translational research, trains the next generation of28 |
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| 41 | 41 | | scientists in cancer research, and offers an educational environment for community outreach,29 |
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| 42 | 42 | | prevention, early detection, and the treatment of prostate cancer; and30 |
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| 43 | 43 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University additionally houses the Center for Innovation and31 |
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| 44 | 44 | | Entrepreneurial Development, one of the nation's most progressive forums integrating32 |
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| 45 | 45 | | traditional academics with market research, intelligence, and innovation to enhance the33 |
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| 46 | 46 | | competitiveness of the university's graduates and local entrepreneurs; and34 |
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| 47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is the first private historically Black university to host35 |
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| 48 | 48 | | a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, America's most prestigious honor society for all academic36 |
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| 49 | 49 | | disciplines, in addition to the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Eta Sigma37 |
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| 50 | 50 | | H. R. 233 |
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| 51 | 51 | | - 2 - 25 LC 112 2932 |
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| 52 | 52 | | Honor Society, the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and several discipline-specific honor |
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| 53 | 53 | | 38 |
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| 54 | 54 | | societies; and39 |
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| 55 | 55 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is an important contributor to local, regional, and40 |
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| 56 | 56 | | national communities, engaging more than 1,000 student and faculty volunteers annually in41 |
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| 57 | 57 | | service to local nonprofit organizations; supporting the educational systems of Fulton,42 |
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| 58 | 58 | | DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and nearby Georgia counties; and continuing to reach43 |
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| 59 | 59 | | beyond the campus footprint to address critical issues through purposeful service; and44 |
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| 60 | 60 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is home to WCLK Jazz 91.9 FM, Atlanta's jazz45 |
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| 61 | 61 | | station, which is celebrating 50 years of service to the community; and46 |
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| 62 | 62 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has produced stellar alumni who constitute47 |
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| 63 | 63 | | irreplaceable threads in the fabric of the State of Georgia and America as a whole, including48 |
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| 64 | 64 | | Fletcher Henderson, AU '19; Grace Towns Hamilton, AU '27; Irma Jackson Clayton Wertz,49 |
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| 65 | 65 | | AU '35; Evelyn Gibson Lowery, CC '46; Mary Frances Early, CC '57; The Honorable Brenda50 |
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| 66 | 66 | | Hill Cole, AU '67; Georgia State Representative Sheila Jones, CC 74-78; Kenny Leon, CC51 |
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| 67 | 67 | | '79; Helen Smith Price, AU '81; Georgia State Senator Horacena Tate, AU '88, CAU '92;52 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Anthony White, CAU '99; Bomani Jones, CAU '01; Tharon Johnson, CAU '02; and Lorin53 |
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| 69 | 69 | | Crawford, CAU '13; and54 |
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| 70 | 70 | | WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Dr. George T. French Jr., Clark Atlanta55 |
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| 71 | 71 | | University has received the largest unrestricted donation in the university's history, and Dr.56 |
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| 72 | 72 | | French has stewarded the addition of the Propel Center, which will support Clark Atlanta57 |
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| 73 | 73 | | University, the Atlanta University Center, and the entire HBCU community, which includes58 |
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| 74 | 74 | | more than 100 colleges and universities, through a robust virtual platform accessible to all59 |
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| 75 | 75 | | HBCU students and faculty. Founding partners Apple and Southern Company, along with60 |
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| 76 | 76 | | H. R. 233 |
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| 77 | 77 | | - 3 - 25 LC 112 2932 |
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| 78 | 78 | | strategic partner the Walt Disney Company, have each made major investments toward the |
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| 79 | 79 | | 61 |
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| 80 | 80 | | development and launch of the center.62 |
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| 81 | 81 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that63 |
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| 82 | 82 | | the members of this body recognize and commend Clark Atlanta University as well as64 |
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| 83 | 83 | | President Dr. George T. French Jr. for his leadership, extensive experience, and unwavering65 |
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| 84 | 84 | | dedication to higher education; he serves as the longest-tenured HBCU president in the66 |
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| 85 | 85 | | nation and has worked tirelessly to attract talented scholars to the State of Georgia.67 |
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| 86 | 86 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body recognize February 18, 2025,68 |
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| 87 | 87 | | as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol.69 |
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| 88 | 88 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized70 |
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| 89 | 89 | | and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Clark71 |
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| 90 | 90 | | Atlanta University and President Dr. George T. French Jr.72 |
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| 91 | 91 | | H. R. 233 |
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| 92 | 92 | | - 4 - |
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