SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 574
In Memory
of
Lee Elliott Brown
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.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate