83S10663 BPG-D
By: Smith H.R. No. 208
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, History professor John C. Britt has served Lee
College with distinction for nearly a half-century, and the
institution named its social sciences building in his honor in
April 2013; and
WHEREAS, In 1964, at the age of 24, Mr. Britt became the
youngest member of the Lee College faculty; he was appointed
director of the Honors Program in 1995, and under his leadership,
many of its students have received regional and national awards and
have presented research papers at the Texas State Historical
Association, the Great Plains Honors Conference, and the National
Conference on Undergraduate Research; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Britt is the comanaging editor for Touchstone, a
journal of undergraduate research published by the TSHA, and he
coedited two Baytown history anthologies that received
Certificates of Commendation from the American Association for
State and Local History; for 20 years, he taught in the college's
Offender Education Program, and he has held myriad leadership roles
in professional organizations; he has served on the TSHA board and
on its education committee, and he is a member of the executive
board of the Chambers County Historical Commission; moreover, he
has chaired the Honors Committee of the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate
Council, and he has conducted summer TSHA Heritage Travel Programs
as well as traveling historical seminars for teachers, senior
citizens, and students; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, the Lee College board of regents created
the endowed John Britt Honors Chair; Mr. Britt is also the recipient
of numerous other accolades, among them the Mirabeau B. Lamar Award
of Excellence (Higher Education) from the Masonic Grand Lodge of
Texas, the Western Region Faculty Award from the Association of
Community College Trustees, and the Baytown Junior Chamber of
Commerce Outstanding Educator Award; he was the first community
college instructor to garner the Leadership in Education Award from
the TSHA and the Ima Hogg Historical Achievement Award for
Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Texas History from the
Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin;
and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Baytown native earned his associate's
degree at Lee College and went on to complete his bachelor's and
master's degrees in history at Sam Houston State University; he
taught at R. E. Lee High School before joining Lee College; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of 47 years, John Britt has
encouraged innumerable young Texans to expand their intellectual
horizons and develop a lasting interest in the history of the Lone
Star State, and the naming of a building in his honor is truly a
fitting tribute to his contributions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commend John C. Britt for
his exceptional service to Lee College and his students and extend
to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Britt as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.