By: Raymond, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hinojosa) H.C.R. No. 33
(In the Senate - Received from the House March 31, 2011;
April 20, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 10, 2011, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 10, 2011, sent to printer.)
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, State law stipulates in Section 2165.256,
Government Code, that a person specified in a concurrent resolution
adopted by the legislature is eligible for burial in the State
Cemetery if the State Cemetery Committee finds that the person has
made a significant contribution to Texas history and, based on that
finding, approves the person's burial; and
WHEREAS, Susana I. Aleman, who served as assistant dean for
student affairs at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law
for more than two decades, is a pioneering figure whose
professional achievements helped further the worthy ideal of equal
opportunity for all Texans, and her request for burial in the State
Cemetery merits approval by the committee; and
WHEREAS, A leader in the fields of education and law, Dean
Aleman became the first woman and first Hispanic to hold the post of
assistant dean for student affairs at the UT Austin School of Law
when she accepted the position in 1984; during her 21-year tenure,
she ably counseled thousands of law students on both academic and
personal matters, and her success in that role helped inspire other
minorities and women to seek a place in the ranks of senior
administration in both the public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, Dean Aleman joined the staff of the law school
shortly after receiving her doctor of jurisprudence degree from UT
Austin; she also holds a bachelor's degree in secondary education
and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin
as well as a master's degree in school administration from the
former Texas A&I University-Kingsville; in addition, she was the
valedictorian of the Class of 1972 at Falfurrias High School; and
WHEREAS, Dean Aleman's record of service to her state further
includes her work as a high school government teacher, student
mentor, and youth development director and as the University
Interscholastic League academic director in Brooks County;
moreover, she has contributed her time and expertise to such
organizations as the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas, the
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Texas Commission on Judicial
Efficiency; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, the Travis County Women Lawyers'
Association honored Dean Aleman as a Pathfinder, an award that
recognizes local women with law degrees who are role models and
trailblazers in the community; her numerous honors also include
recognition as an Outstanding Leader in 2000-2001 by the Hispanic
Faculty/Staff Association of UT Austin; and
WHEREAS, In light of her noteworthy contributions to the Lone
Star State, it is fitting that Susana I. Aleman be allowed to
designate the State Cemetery as her final resting place; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby authorize the burial of Susana I. Aleman in the State
Cemetery, provided that her application for assignment of burial
space is approved by the State Cemetery Commission as required by
law.
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