88R12452 BK-D
By: Dutton H.R. No. 467
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Gertrudejane Holliday Stone has earned the
admiration of many fellow citizens through the contributions she
has made as a civil rights icon and a pillar of the Houston
community; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Stone made history in December 1955, when she
refused to give up her seat to a White passenger on a public train,
unknowingly becoming part of the anti-segregation movement
initiated by Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama, several days
earlier; although her brave and heroic act was not widely known
outside of Houston, she went on to be recognized during a visit to
the White House in 2020 and was also honored by The Kelly Clarkson
Show in 2021; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Fisk University in Nashville,
Tennessee, Mrs. Stone was also a trailblazer in Pennsylvania, where
she worked as a department store salesperson at a time when it was
largely unheard of for a Black person to do so; she was later
employed as a teacher in the Houston Independent School District
for about a decade before her retirement; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, this inspiring woman has volunteered
with numerous organizations, such as the Harris County Heritage
Society and the St. Elizabeth Hospital of Houston Foundation, which
was founded by her husband, the late Dr. John S. Stone; she has
served on the advisory board of Alley Theatre, on the executive
board of the Houston Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and
on various other boards and committees, in addition to providing
leadership as the first Black chair of the Houston Public Library
board and as cofounder of St. Mary's Catholic Church Federal Credit
Union; she was also instrumental in founding the National African
American Museum in Houston; and
WHEREAS, In acknowledgment of her volunteer work and her
significant contributions to the civil rights movement, Mrs. Stone
has received the Beautiful Activist Award from Brandeis University
and the title of Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
of Jerusalem, the highest honor bestowed upon a Catholic layperson
by papal invitation; and
WHEREAS, Gertrudejane Stone is a distinguished citizen who
has demonstrated remarkable courage in breaking down racial
barriers throughout her life, and her achievements are truly
deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Gertrudejane Holliday Stone for her civic
leadership and activism and extend to her sincere best wishes for
the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Stone as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.