By: Gervin-Hawkins H.C.R. No. 113
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The G. J. Sutton State Office Complex in San Antonio
served state agencies and the wider community for many years; and
WHEREAS,
The facility's namesake, Garlington Jerome Sutton,
became the first African American elected official in Bexar County
in 1948, when he was chosen as a member of the San Antonio Union
Junior College District Board of Trustees; he was later elected to
the Texas House of Representatives in 1972, earning the distinction
of becoming the inaugural representative of District 57-E and the
first African American in the legislature from the Alamo City;
during his tenure, he served as chair of the Texas Legislative Black
Caucus and proposed the acquisition of a new state office building,
which was later named in his honor in 1982; he passed away on June
22, 1976, at the age of 67; and
WHEREAS, In the fall of 2013, the complex was closed after
significant structural problems were discovered during maintenance
improvements; the property, however, remains highly desirable for
its location in a designated historic zone; and
WHEREAS, G. J. Sutton was not only a pillar of his community
but also a trailblazer for African Americans in public service, and
it is essential that this property continue bearing his name so that
current and future generations are able to more fully appreciate
his achievements; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby urge all future owners of the property on which the
G. J. Sutton State Office Complex now stands to preserve the use of
Mr. Sutton's name in tribute to his historic legacy in the city of
San Antonio and the Lone Star State of Texas.