SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 201
In Memory
of
William Lawson
WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a giant of the civil
rights movement and visionary community leader with the passing
of the Reverend William A. Lawson on May 14, 2024, at the age of
95; and
WHEREAS, In 1962, while serving as director of the Baptist
Student Union at Texas Southern University, Reverend Lawson
established Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, which became a center
for students engaged in nonviolent protests against
discrimination; he befriended Martin Luther King Jr., inviting
him to speak at the church; Reverend Lawson chartered the Houston
chapter of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference,
which he would lead for more than three decades; in the midst of
upheaval across the nation, he quietly met with local business
leaders, slipping through the back door of the whites-only Rice
Hotel; his serenity, compassion, and unfailing good humor were
crucial in bringing people together and maintaining calm during
the swift desegregation of public facilities; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Lawson worked with other prominent faith
leaders to address challenges confronting the city, among them
homelessness, racism, and antisemitism; he persuaded other local
religious institutions to commit to community development, and
he set an example by including women as deacons and trustees of
his church; even after retiring, he remained a tireless champion
of the vulnerable and disenfranchised; the congregation named
him founding pastor emeritus, and among myriad other accolades,
the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity was
established in his honor; he received honorary doctorates from
Howard Payne University, the University of Houston, and TSU; and
WHEREAS, The son of William Lawson Sr. and Clarisse Riggs,
Bill Lawson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 28, 1928; he
was raised with three siblings in Kansas City, Kansas, by his
mother and her second husband, Walter Cade; after graduating from
Tennessee State University, he went on to complete a bachelor's
and master's degree at Central Baptist Theological Seminary; on
January 30, 1954, he married the former Audrey Hoffman, and they
were blessed with four children, Melanie, Cheryl, Eric, and
Roxanne; he was preceded in death by his beloved wife and son; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Lawson left an indelible imprint on the
city of Houston, and although he will be deeply missed, he will
remain a source of enduring inspiration to all who were
privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of the Reverend
William A. Lawson and extend sincere condolences 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 Senate adjourns
this day, it do so in memory of William Lawson.
Miles, Alvarado, Birdwell
Cook, Eckhardt, West
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 4, 2025, by
a rising vote.
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Secretary of the Senate