<BillNo> <Sponsor>
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 237
By Jones J
HJR0237
003826
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A RESOLUTION to recognize and commend Vivian Lee Battle
Sims.
WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should specially
recognize those estimable public servants who, through their extraordinary efforts, have
become leaders of whom we can all be proud; and
WHEREAS, one such individual is Vivian Lee Battle Sims, a ninety-six-year-old retired
Giles County educator who has sought numerous opportunities to both selflessly serve citizens
in her community and recognize the storied history of this State; and
WHEREAS, Vivian Sims was the first African-American female assistant principal of
Pulaski Elementary School, and she later became the first African-American principal of
Southside Elementary School; and
WHEREAS, for nearly five decades, Ms. Sims has selflessly served her hometown
through community involvement and direction, earning the utmost respect and admiration of her
peers and community alike; and
WHEREAS, a highly respected member of the Giles County community for more than
sixty years, Vivian Sims rallied the town leaders and championed the placement of The
Resurrection of Valor statue in 2023; and
WHEREAS, the bronze statue currently stands in Pulaski, honoring and recognizing the
United States Colored Troops (USCT) who proudly fought for freedom in the American Civil
War; and
WHEREAS, The Resurrection of Valor exhibits a young child looking up to a USCT
soldier and serves as a powerful, historic hallmark of legacy, courage, and pride for the
descendants of the brave warriors who fought for our freedoms; and
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WHEREAS, the journey was personal to Ms. Sims, who herself is a direct descendant of
a USCT soldier; she initially brought the idea to a Community Advisory Committee meeting for
Inclusive Recognition and Acknowledgement and ultimately invested her time and resources to
the project, which included $82,000 of her own money; and
WHEREAS, as a professional, Ms. Sims devoted her entire forty-six-year career to the
education field; and
WHEREAS, Vivian Sims is an exemplary citizen whose commitment to helping others
through volunteerism and faith is representative of the Volunteer State, and it is highly
appropriate that she should be recognized; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Vivian Lee Battle Sims for her leadership, thank
her for her sterling service to the citizens of the State of Tennessee, and extend to her our best
wishes for every continued success in her future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.