Travis County Commissioners Court
October 11, 2005
Item 11
11. Receive update and take appropriate action on re-naming dedication ceremony for heman sweatt courthouse on October 21, 2005. This is simply giving the court an update on the ceremony that's planned.
>> yes, sir. Good morning, alicia perez executive manager for administrative operations. We come to the court and really to the public to let them know that there will be a dedication ceremony of the old historical courthouse. The courthouse will be renamed after had heman marion sweatt, he was a civil rights pioneer who was first denied admittance into the university of Texas school of law. He sued the university of Texas and with the good help of a -- a very able legal team headed by thurgood marshall, the supreme court justice, was able to win a lawsuit and became the first black student at the university of Texas law school. For his courage and percent ance, the court voted to rename the Travis County historical courthouse after heman marion sweatt, which is where the first lawsuit was indeed filed and tried in the courthouse. The ceremony is going to take place on October the 21st, that is a Friday at -- starts at 12:30 p.m. We have been fortunate and vernon jordan has accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker. We will also have musical praise and dance praise there. You have in your backup the invitation. It is a public event. So everyone is invited. And the ceremony will be in the 250th district court, that is south 314 on the third floor of the old courthouse, 100 guadalupe, that's Friday, October the 21st at 12:30. You also have a program, which outlines the actual ceremony. It gives? Historical information on heman marion sweatt and eric shepperd, our own county attorney, will be master of certainly moneys. This certainly -- mast of ceremony. This campaign was led by the Austin black lawyers association to rename the courthouse, they will host the ceremony along with Commissioners court and then the Austin bar association will have a reception to follow.
>> ms. Henderson suggested that we invite thurgood marshall's sons, but have we followed through on that?
>> yes, sir, we have asked for their addresses from mr. Jordan's office and hope to be able to follow-up.
>> why don't we just ask -- vernon jordan's office to contact them for us. I understand that mr. Jordan was close to the -- is close to the family. I’m suggesting maybe the invitation from him will carry a lot more weight than -- than one from a county in Texas.
>> we can do that.
>> that may be -- since we are on a short time line here. Okay?
>> we can do that.
>> do you think that the courtroom will be large enough to accommodate?
>> what we have done is we expect that that courtroom will fit about 200, 230 people. We have also set up a -- a simulcast in -- in another courtroom and that is Margaret --
>> not cooper.
>> suzanne covington, I’m sorry suzanne covington's courtroom, right across the hall. Right across the hall. We have set up a simulcast with two large televisions, two that again the black lawyers association will be paying for that, it's going to cost us about $1,800 to do the audio and the video. And they will be supporting that. Eric? And sue spears is also part of our committee. Small committee that's been working on this event.
>> I’m -- one other quick update. I just received a call this morning from sheriff hamilton who was preparing an award in dallas this weekend, he has given me the number for the nephew of he att so we may be able to contact him as well. So heman marion sweatt nevada few will be there as well as -- [indiscernible] and her children. So it's going to be a good occasion.
>> we have already contacted him, he has said he would attend.
>> great.
>> have you covered all of the expenses? For him?
>> they have all come on their own.
>> and j.c. Penney covered the expenses for mr. Jordan and as well as the local law firm of -- [multiple voices]
>> you also have in your backup a -- a short history of heman marion sweatt and his contribution, not only to Texas, but to the united states. And that will be placed on an historical plaque in front of the courthouse. You have a rendering and a picture of what the heman marion sweat Travis County courthouse sign that will be -- that will be on the facade at the entrance, the old entrance of the courthouse will look like. All that has been ordered and will be in place in time for the ceremony on October the 21st at 12:30. 100 guadalupe and we invite everyone to come out and join us.
>> on the -- I would like to thank y'all for doing such a great job. But on the note of heman marion sweatt's nephew whose name is also heman marion sweatt, and -- after talking with -- with eric after talking with sheriff hamilton yesterday who gave me some information of course, saying we did contact him and according to what he's saying, that he definitely would like to attend this occasion. So I hope that he's able to be here, because this young man was named after -- after heman marion sweatt. So he -- he plans to be here and I just hope that he's able to make it. So -- but I think looking at what we have here, I think we have got a good program together and I think that it's something that we can move forward with. And, judge, I guess -- the request for -- for thurgood marshall's son, when can we possibly know where we are on that to make sure that it's expedited.
>> today, sir, we have sent an e-mail to vernon jordan's office, I will call them up today.
>> to confirm that. Okay. That would be great. With that I would like to just make -- make a move to accept the report if that's necessary or --
>> approve the program I think.
>> all right. I would like to move that we approve the program that have been brought before us and the particular update and that we are [indiscernible] accordingly in that regard. Begin I would like to thank everybody.
>> second. Any more discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
>> so how are we getting out the word, I go to invite people sort of lawyer related plus a handful of community folk that may have known him or -- if we invite the general public, I’m thinking more than 2 or 300 may show.
>> yes, sir.
>> but the -- sort of spillover courtroom will accommodate another couple hundred, we think?
>> yes, sir.
>> we are just hoping the number is in the 400 or less range?
>> yes, sir. The Austin bar association has sent out invitations to all of their members, we had a list of all elected and appointed officials throughout the state that -- that had written in with recommendations. We also sent it to a small group that had -- that had joined in that particular campaign. And then we sent it to several other churches and -- and community leaders.
>> as soon as the press release is available, we send it out to national papers, also.
>> it's open to the public, basically.
>> yes, sir.
>> if you know the size of the courtroom, the wise among us will get here early.
>> yes.
>> thank you.
>> thank you all. Good work.
>> super work. Thank you, eric.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, October 11, 2005 4:42 PM