84R25159 JGH-D
By: Wu H.C.R. No. 116
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Fifty years ago this session, Thomas J. Lee of San
Antonio became the first Asian American to serve in the Texas
Legislature; and
WHEREAS, A native of Canton, China, Tom Lee moved to the
United States with his family at the age of eight; he grew up on San
Antonio's West Side, where he learned to speak English and Spanish
as well as Cantonese; during World War II, he was the first officer
of Chinese descent to serve in the U.S. Navy, and after the war he
remained active in the navy reserve at the rank of lieutenant
commander; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Lee studied at The University of Texas at
Austin, the University of Notre Dame, and St. Mary's University,
where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1956 and a law
degree in 1960; he went on to become a successful attorney and
businessman in the Chinese community of San Antonio; and
WHEREAS, In 1964, Mr. Lee was elected to the Texas House of
Representatives, representing Bexar County in the 59th
Legislature; a Democrat, he served from 1965 until 1967, and he was
a member of the Insurance, Penitentiaries, and Revenue and Taxation
Committees, among others; he died in San Antonio on November 7,
1996, at the age of 73; and
WHEREAS, Through his service to the people of San Antonio and
the State of Texas, Tom Lee was a pioneer who helped open the door to
a more diverse and inclusive state legislature, and his legacy
continues to resonate to this day; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Thomas J. Lee, the
first Asian American to serve in the Texas Legislature.