HLS 15RS-855 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 109
BY REPRESENTATIVE BURRELL
CONDOLENCES: Expresses condolences upon the death of Alphonse Jackson, Jr., former
state representative and a founding member of the La. Legislative Black Caucus
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Alphonse Jackson, Jr.,
3 former state representative and founding member of the Louisiana Legislative Black
4 Caucus.
5 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the members of the
6Legislature of Louisiana have learned of the death of former state representative Alphonse
7Jackson, Jr. on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, at the age of eighty-seven; and
8 WHEREAS, born on November 27, 1927, in Shreveport, Alphonse Jackson, Jr. was
9the son of the late Alphonse Jackson, Sr. and Mattie P. (Beaner) Jackson and was a widely
10respected, admired, and beloved citizen of Louisiana; an intelligent and hard-working child
11who excelled academically, Mr. Jackson spent summers working on his grandfather's farm
12in Forbing and honed his entrepreneurial skills in Shady Grove at Beaner's Grocery and his
13father's Phillips 66 Friendly Service Station; and
14 WHEREAS, after graduating from Central High School, Mr. Jackson attended
15Southern University in Baton Rouge, where he was initiated into the Beta Sigma Chapter of
16Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; shortly after signing up for selective service, he was
17drafted into the United States Army and served his country with valor both during and after
18World War II; he was among the military personnel deployed to Hiroshima and Nagasaki
19to engage in atomic cleanup operations; and
20 WHEREAS, following his honorable discharge from the Army, Mr. Jackson returned
21to Southern University and earned a bachelor of arts degree in social studies, graduating with
Page 1 of 4 HLS 15RS-855 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 109
1honors in 1951; he matriculated to New York University, where he earned a master of arts
2degree in secondary education administration; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson began his professional career as a social studies and
4English teacher at his alma mater, Central High School; later he became chair of the school's
5social sciences department and eventually its principal; during his eighteen years as an
6administrator, he also served as principal of Judson Elementary School; he was among the
7first African American principals to be assigned to a predominantly white school during
8desegregation in Caddo Parish, and in recognition of his excellence as an educator, he was
9recognized as the Caddo Educator of the Year in 1960; and
10 WHEREAS, in 1962, Mr. Jackson received the Citizenship Education Award for
11Civil Rights Leadership from the Louisiana Education Association (LEA) for his efforts to
12promote equal educational opportunity and was later elected as the LEA president; in the
13early 1970s, he was appointed to the Biracial Committee and continued his work on
14desegregating Caddo schools and ending de jure segregation; President Richard Nixon and
15the National Education Association sought his guidance on desegregation interventions and
16successful educational strategies; and
17 WHEREAS, it was Mr. Jackson's passion for education that inspired his political
18advocacy, and in 1972, he began his long and distinguished term of service in the Louisiana
19House of Representatives as the first black legislator elected from Caddo Parish since
20Reconstruction; during his tenure in the House, which spanned from 1972 until 1992, he
21used every opportunity as an able and productive legislator to serve this state in an honorable
22and dedicated manner; he served diligently on several committees, including as the chairman
23of the House Committee on Health and Welfare and as a member of the House committees
24on Appropriations, Education, and Judiciary; and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson was elected as a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional
26Convention of 1973, and as chairman of the Committee on Bill of Rights and Elections, he
27worked with other delegates to craft the Louisiana Constitution of 1974; in 1977, he was one
28of ten founding members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and ultimately served
29with distinction as the dean of the caucus; and
Page 2 of 4 HLS 15RS-855 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 109
1 WHEREAS, in the private sector, Mr. Jackson was president of Jackson, Nicholson
2and Associates, where he coordinated political campaigns and planned public relations and
3marketing programs, and after his departure from the legislature, he worked as a public
4affairs consultant for the Hurst Group, a public relations and government affairs firm; and
5 WHEREAS, throughout his life, Mr. Jackson was active in his Baptist faith; he was
6baptized at the Springfield Baptist Church and later united with the Avenue Baptist Church,
7where he taught Sunday school; in later years, he united with the Zion Baptist Church until
8he became a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson lent his time and service to several organizations, including
10as a former member and past president of the Delta Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi
11Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and as a Life Member of the National Association for the
12Advancement of Colored People and the LEA; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson was recognized on numerous occasions for his singular
14contributions and accomplishments, including having the Alphonse Jackson, Jr. Early
15Childhood Center in Shreveport named in his honor, receiving the Friend of Education
16Award from the Louisiana Association of Educators, and being designated by The
17Shreveport Times as one of most influential people of Northwest Louisiana in the twentieth
18century; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson was the kind of citizen who represents what is good about
20Louisiana, a man of wisdom who used his talents, integrity, and passion for his home state
21to change Louisiana for the better; he was a distinguished member, as Tom Brokaw wrote
22in his book, The Greatest Generation, of "a generation that, by and large, made no demands
23of homage from those who followed and prospered economically, politically, and culturally
24because of its sacrifices ... a generation of towering achievement and modest demeanor ...
25the greatest generation any society has ever produced"; and
26 WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson is survived by his wife of twenty-one years, Glenda Hurst
27Jackson; his daughters, former state legislator Lydia P. Jackson and Angela E. Jackson; his
28stepdaughter, Andrea M. Archie; his grandson, Jacobi D. Glenn; his sister, Olive "Ollie"
29Gibson; his father-in-law, Norbert Hurst; his former wife, Rubye H. Jackson, the mother of
30Lydia and Angela; two goddaughters, Kelesha T. Martin, and Sallie Singleton; and numerous
Page 3 of 4 HLS 15RS-855 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 109
1nieces and nephews who loved their "Uncle Jack"; he was preceded in death by his
2grandparents, Anola and Sam Beaner; his parents, Mattie and Alphonse Jackson, Sr.; his
3brother, Samuel L. Jackson; his sisters, Shirley Jackson Minor and Gloria G. Jackson; and
4his stepson, James R. Archie II; and
5 WHEREAS, with the death of Mr. Jackson, the state has lost one of her finest sons,
6a man who has left an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of all who knew and loved
7him, including the members of the House family, all of whom mourn the loss of this
8wonderful man who served this institution, this state, and his nation so well; he leaves a rich
9and unique legacy and is greatly missed by all whose lives he touched through his
10unwavering dedication to public service and to his fellow citizens.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
12express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Alphonse Jackson, Jr., former
13state representative and founding member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, does
14hereby recognize and record for posterity his notable accomplishments and singular
15contributions during his twenty-year tenure as a distinguished member of the Louisiana
16House of Representatives, and does hereby extend enduring appreciation for the pride and
17honor that this wonderful man will forever bring to his family, his community, his state, and
18the United States of America.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
20to the family of Alphonse Jackson, Jr.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 109 Original 2015 Regular Session Burrell
Expresses condolences upon the death of Alphonse Jackson, Jr., former state representative
and founding member of the La. Legislative Black Caucus.
Page 4 of 4