H.R. No. 1541
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The year 2015 marks the centennial of the Near East
Foundation, established at the behest of President Woodrow Wilson
to save the lives of Armenians under attack during the violent
dissolution of the Ottoman Empire; and
WHEREAS, In September 1915, the United States ambassador to
Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau, sent a cablegram that alerted
President Wilson to the plight of Armenians threatened with
genocide in Turkey; a humanitarian committee was formed to aid
Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and other minorities in grave danger,
and after the group was incorporated by Congress, it became known as
Near East Relief, or NER; and
WHEREAS, The organization mobilized people across the
country and around the world, and between 1915 and 1930, it saved
the lives of more than 132,000 Armenian orphans and one million
refugees; during this period, it built orphanages, food and
clothing distribution centers, medical clinics, hospitals, and
schools throughout the Near East to assist survivors; more than
1,000 American volunteers traveled abroad to assist in this vast
undertaking, and many Texans were involved in related fund-raising,
relief work, and public education programs; and
WHEREAS, A humanitarian endeavor on an unprecedented scale,
involving close coordination with foreign governments and local
groups, the work of the NER served as a model for subsequent
philanthropic initiatives and organizations, including the Peace
Corps and USAID; the current name was adopted in 1930 to reflect a
shift in focus from immediate relief to more sustained involvement
in the development of the region, and today, the Near East
Foundation conducts numerous programs to improve the well-being of
people in the Middle East and Africa; and
WHEREAS, During one of the darkest chapters of the 20th
century, the Near East Foundation intervened to provide critical
aid to a population in peril, and its accomplishments remain a
source of instruction and inspiration alike; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor the Near East Foundation on the occasion
of its centennial and commend the organization for its
extraordinary contributions in behalf of disadvantaged people in
the countries it serves; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Harless
Simmons
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1541 was adopted by the House on April
16, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House