89R15416 BPG-D
By: Collier H.R. No. 364
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a civil rights hero and an
admired jurist with the passing of the Honorable L. Clifford Davis
of Arlington on February 15, 2025, at the age of 100; and
WHEREAS, Born to Augustus and Dora Davis on October 12, 1924,
Clifford Davis grew up on the family farm in Wilton, Arkansas; he
graduated from Philander Smith College and then sought to enroll in
the University of Arkansas Law School, which finally offered
admission under separate, decidedly unequal conditions; he chose to
complete his degree at Howard University, but his struggle opened
the door for other Black students at the University of Arkansas;
beginning his career in Arkansas, he focused on civil rights
litigation; and
WHEREAS, In 1954, Judge Davis relocated to Fort Worth and
founded one of the state's first Black-owned law firms; he assisted
future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall on a matter that
would become the landmark Brown v. Board of Education; continuing
to battle segregation, he filed successful federal suits against
the Mansfield and Fort Worth school districts; in his work as
general counsel for the NAACP, he worked tirelessly to end
discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations,
both through the courts and by reaching agreements with business
owners; in 1983, he was appointed as a criminal district court
judge, and the following year, he became the first Black judge
elected in Tarrant County; he established Tarrant County's first
drug diversion court during his tenure; after retiring as a senior
district judge in 2004, he became of counsel to the Fort Worth firm
of Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell; he primarily handled pro bono cases,
continuing his years-long tradition of giving generously of his
time and expertise to Legal Aid of North Texas and the NAACP Justice
Project; a mentor to many, he funded scholarships and paid tuition
bills for young law students, and he visited children at the Fort
Worth elementary school named in his honor; a member of the National
Bar Association Hall of Fame, he also received an honorary degree
from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Judge Davis shared a fulfilling marriage with his
wife, Ethel R. Davis, that spanned nearly six decades until her
passing in 2015, and they were the proud parents of two daughters,
Avis and Karen; and
WHEREAS, Resolute in his commitment to justice for all,
Clifford Davis dismantled barriers to liberty, equality, and
advancement, and his legacy will continue to resonate powerfully in
the years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable
L. Clifford Davis and extend sincere condolences to his daughters,
Avis and Karen Davis, to his other relatives and many friends, and
to all who mourn his passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Clifford
Davis.