05 LC 19
6507
House
Resolution 236
By:
Representatives Jones of the
44th,
Brooks of the
63rd,
Thomas of the
55th,
McClinton of the
84th,
Bruce of the
64th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Honoring
the life of Donald L. Hollowell, expressing regret at his passing, and inviting
his family to appear before the House of Representatives; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
Donald L. Hollowell, an eloquent civil rights lawyer, best known for his
courtroom fight to integrate the University of Georgia died on Monday, December
27, 2004, at the Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
the third child and second son of Harrison Hannibal and Ocenia Bernice
Hollowell, he was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1917; and
WHEREAS,
after graduation from Lane College, he enrolled in the law school at Loyola
University in Chicago, Illinois, and earned a Juris Doctor in 1951;
and
WHEREAS,
in 1952, Mr. Hollowell started the law firm which later became Hollowell, Ward,
Moore, and Alexander in the City of Atlanta; and
WHEREAS,
the firm became a launching pad for many of
Georgiás
notable lawyers and earned Mr. Hollowell the distinction of being the dean of
black lawyers in this state; and
WHEREAS,
his legal career spanned 52 years, during which Hollowell, Ward, Moore, and
Alexander handled hundreds of civil rights and civil liberties cases in the
state and the federal courts of Georgia, most notable were his representation of
Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes in the landmark case that integrated the
University of Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
he was also personal attorney to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and
served as lead counsel in many of his arrests during the civil rights movement;
and
WHEREAS,
in 1966, Mr. Hollowell became the first African American to head a federal
agency in Georgia when President Lyndon Johnson appointed him to lead the
southeastern office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an agency
established by the President to combat discrimination based on race and gender;
and
WHEREAS,
he also served as Chairman of the Board and legal counsel for the Voter
Education Project in Georgia from 1971 to 1986, in which capacity he helped
raise the number of African Americans registered to vote in the United States
from 3 million to 5.5 million; and
WHEREAS,
at his death, Mr. Hollowell held senior status in the Atlanta law firm of
Hollowell, Foster & Gepp, P.C.; and
WHEREAS,
he received five honorary degrees from universities throughout the United States
and was richly honored in his later years; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Hollowell is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 62 years, Dr. Louise
E. Hollowell, a Professor Emeritus of Morris Brown College.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body honor the life of Donald L. Hollowell, express their gratitude for his
enormous contributions to the State of Georgia, and extend their sincere
condolences to his family.
BE
IT RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and
directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Mrs. Louise
Hollowell.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the family of Donald L. Hollowell is invited to appear
before the House of Representatives at a date and time to be determined by the
Speaker.