HR1518.html

Recognizing and commending Donald Lee Hollowell; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Donald Lee Hollowell is a highly respected attorney, well known for his enormous contribution in the civil rights arena in Georgia and throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hollowell took on the racist political establishment in an effort to end racial segregation in higher education, earning Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter the opportunity to attend the University of Georgia in 1961; and

WHEREAS, he is also remembered for getting Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail when he was being held on misdemeanor charges; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hollowell not only advocated for well-known people in high profile cases, he also defended hundreds of lesser-known civil rights protesters and coached students in the finer points of civil disobedience before marches and demonstrations; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hollowell capped an already distinguished career in 1966 by creating and heading the southeastern regional office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, pioneering the legal field of workplace discrimination; and

WHEREAS, as president of the board of the Voter Education Project from 1971 to 1986, Mr. Hollowell´s leadership helped raise African American voter registration in the United States from 3 million to 5.5 million; and

WHEREAS, this recipient of numerous honors, which include countless plaques commemorating his contribution to social change, the Emory University School of Law naming a professorship for him, and the City of Atlanta naming a street after him, is known by friends and colleagues for his unassuming demeanor that has won him respect and affection during the past 82 years; and
WHEREAS, he mentored and inspired other young African American attorneys, including presidential confidant Vernon Jordan, United States District Judge Horace Ward, and former Atlanta City Council President Marvin Arrington, with whom he later formed the law firm Arrington and Hollowell; and

WHEREAS, one will still find him serving as an able mentor to the firm´s young associates at his Peachtree Street office; and

WHEREAS, his courage, intelligence, integrity, dignity, honesty, and unwavering commitment to social change characterize his life and career.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Donald Lee Hollowell for his extreme dedication to making the "benefits of life available to all" and wish him and his wife, Louise, continued good health and happiness.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Donald Lee Hollowell.