| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 852 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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| 3 | 3 | | recognize the Mary McLeod Bethune Day Nursery, Incorporated, |
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| 4 | 4 | | which is celebrating 75 years of service in 2017; and |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The nursery was founded by a group of concerned |
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| 6 | 6 | | citizens in Corpus Christi in 1942 and has provided excellent day |
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| 7 | 7 | | care for children throughout its history; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The need for such a facility was recognized by |
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| 9 | 9 | | Mrs. Bernice Leonard and the Reverend B. E. Joshua, who met late in |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1941 with other interested parents to discuss establishing a day care, |
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| 11 | 11 | | having learned that more than 200 children in the city were being |
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| 12 | 12 | | cared for by older brothers and sisters who were unable to attend |
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| 13 | 13 | | school because their parents were working away from the home; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, A small frame house was purchased and cleaned by |
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| 15 | 15 | | volunteers, and the center was named for Mary McLeod Bethune, a |
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| 16 | 16 | | black educator who founded Bethune-Cookman College, helped form |
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| 17 | 17 | | the National Council of Negro Women, and served as a coordinator |
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| 18 | 18 | | for Negro Youth of America and as an advisor to three presidents; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Mary McLeod Bethune Day Nursery was incorporated |
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| 20 | 20 | | on February 9, 1942; with donations of money, food, and milk from |
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| 21 | 21 | | churches, clubs, and concerned citizens, volunteers began |
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| 22 | 22 | | helping to care for the children; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, As enrollment increased, additional funds became |
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| 24 | 24 | | necessary, and in January of 1943, Bethune Day Nursery became one |
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| 25 | 25 | | of the first participating agencies of the Community Chest; the |
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| 26 | 26 | | Texas Department of Welfare granted additional funding in 1953 |
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| 27 | 27 | | for the 64 children ranging in age from two to six years; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, and through the generosity of |
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| 29 | 29 | | numerous individuals, foundations, corporations, civic |
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| 30 | 30 | | organizations, and volunteers, the nursery has grown and |
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| 31 | 31 | | expanded its facilities to meet the needs of the community; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, The citizens of Corpus Christi have provided the |
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| 33 | 33 | | working parents of their city with an outstanding nursery that |
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| 34 | 34 | | has allowed family members to pursue their education, hold jobs, |
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| 35 | 35 | | and improve their standard of living; now, therefore, be it |
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| 36 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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| 37 | 37 | | Legislature, hereby commend the Mary McLeod Bethune Day Nursery, |
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| 38 | 38 | | Incorporated, on 75 years of outstanding service to the Corpus |
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| 39 | 39 | | Christi community; and, be it further |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the |
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| 41 | 41 | | nursery in honor of its 75th anniversary. |
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| 42 | 42 | | Hinojosa |
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| 43 | 43 | | ________________________________ |
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| 44 | 44 | | President of the Senate |
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| 45 | 45 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 46 | 46 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 47 | 47 | | the Senate on May 23, 2017. |
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| 48 | 48 | | ________________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 50 | 50 | | ________________________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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