Senate Bill sb2810

    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                      SR 2810

    By Senator Miller





    18-2177-03

  1                    Senate Resolution No. ____

  2         A resolution recognizing and honoring Robert

  3         William Saunders, Sr., for his leadership in

  4         the Civil Rights Movement and his contributions

  5         in designing and implementing affirmative

  6         action programs.

  7  

  8         WHEREAS, Robert William Saunders, Sr., was born June 9,

  9  1921, in the Roberts City area of Hillsborough County,

10  Florida, was educated in the county's public schools,

11  graduating in 1940 from George S. Middleton High School, and

12  in 1942 earned an Associate of Arts Degree at Bethune-Cookman

13  College, and

14         WHEREAS, from 1942 to 1946, Mr. Saunders served his

15  country in the United States Army Air Corps, achieving the

16  rank of "Buck Sergeant" and, before being honorably

17  discharged, was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Atlantic

18  Theatre of Operations Medal, and the World War II Victory

19  Medal, and

20         WHEREAS, from 1952 to 1966, Mr. Saunders served as

21  Field Secretary for the Florida State Conference of NAACP

22  Chapters, shepherding the organization and actions of

23  minorities to bring about historic changes in civil rights,

24  and from 1966 to 1976, served as Southeast Regional Director

25  for the United States Office of Equal Opportunity,

26  facilitating changes in state and local governance to achieve

27  compliance with the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and

28         WHEREAS, from 1976 until his retirement in 1988, Mr.

29  Saunders headed Hillsborough County's Office of Equal

30  Opportunity, designing and implementing affirmative action

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    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                      SR 2810
    18-2177-03




 1  programs to increase employment opportunities for minorities,

 2  and, upon retiring, began compiling his memoirs, and

 3         WHEREAS, on March 26, 2003, Robert William Saunders,

 4  Sr., passed to eternal life with his Heavenly Father, but

 5  before leaving, memorialized his civil rights experiences in

 6  his book entitled "Bridging the Gap," NOW, THEREFORE,

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 8  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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10         That the Florida Senate recognizes and honors the

11  extraordinary life, remarkable work, and invaluable community

12  service of Robert William Saunders, Sr., and expresses its

13  heartfelt condolences to the surviving members of his family.

14         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution,

15  with the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Helen

16  Saunders, widow of Robert William Saunders, Sr., as a tangible

17  token of the sentiments of the Florida Senate.

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