Bill 1353

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       1353
Type of Legislation:               Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19960410
Primary Sponsor:                   Washington
All Sponsors:                      Washington, Alexander, Boan,
                                   Bryan, Cork, Courson, Courtney,
                                   Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Giese,
                                   Glover, Gregory, Hayes, Holland,
                                   Jackson, Land, Lander, Leatherman,
                                   Leventis, Martin, Matthews,
                                   McConnell, McGill, Mescher, Moore,
                                   O'Dell, Passailaigue, Patterson,
                                   Peeler, Rankin, Reese, Richter, Rose,
                                   Russell, Ryberg, Saleeby, Setzler,
                                   Short, Greg Smith, J. Verne Smith,
                                   Thomas, Waldrep and Wilson 
Drafted Document Number:           res9988.mw
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:      19960417
Subject:                           U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ronald
H. Brown

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

Senate  19960417  Received from House
House   19960416  Introduced, adopted, returned
                  with concurrence
Senate  19960410  Introduced, adopted, sent to House

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT OF SECRETARY RONALD H. BROWN, A MAGNIFICENT PERSON AND 30TH U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, AND TO REFLECT UPON WHAT SECRETARY BROWN MEANT TO HIS COUNTRY, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE WORLD.

Whereas, Ronald H. Brown was not only an outstanding Secretary of Commerce, but also a loving father and devoted husband; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown resided in Washington D.C. with his wife Alma and their children, Michael and Tracey, both of whom are respected attorneys; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown continued to feed his desire for knowledge by earning his Juris Doctorate at St. John's University; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown showed a tremendous amount of dedication and sacrifice as he attended law school at night while working as a welfare caseworker for the City of New York; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was a former partner in the law firm of Patton, Boggs and Blow; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was a member of the New York Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the United States Supreme Court Bar; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown served as chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was the General Counsel and Vice President for Washington operations for the National Urban League; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was a passionate advocate for the civil rights of all peoples of the world; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was the first legislative chairman of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown served four years in the Army in both Germany and Korea; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown distinguished himself as a highly skilled and extraordinary leader as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee where he united the many factions of a splintered party and spearheaded the successful quest for the White House; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown also served on President Clinton's National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, Task Force on National Health Care Reform, and Council on Sustainable Development; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown also chaired the 19-agency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee and the National Information Infrastructure Task Force; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was sworn in as the 30th Secretary of Commerce on January 22, 1993; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was a pioneer in that he was the first African American to head this major cabinet post; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown's zeal for service and exceptional abilities allowed him to transform the Department of Commerce into a powerful catalyst for American economic might both at home and abroad; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown, through his tireless efforts and boundless energy, became one of the most prolific secretaries of commerce in the history of the post, heading trade development missions to five continents, re-establishing the American economy as the most productive economy on earth, boosting U.S. exports to a record high, and enabling the creation of millions of jobs during the first three years of the Clinton Administration through the use of American exports and technology; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was a powerful advocate for and believer in the mission of the Department of Commerce to ensure economic opportunity for all Americans and provide a voice for business in the cabinet; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown was devoted to the cause of diversity and utilized his position in the Department of Commerce to promote this end; and

Whereas, Secretary Brown's life was suddenly and tragically extinguished on April 3, 1996, on the last leg of a successful world-wide trade mission. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly commemorate the life, achievements, and the human spirit of Secretary Ronald H. Brown, a magnificent person and 30th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and reflect upon what Secretary Brown meant to his country, the people of the United States, and the world.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the family of Secretary Ronald H. Brown.