H.Res. 1071

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1071 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1071

Recognizing the desegregation efforts at Girard College in 
Philadelphia, and the leaders involved in African-American integration 
and civil rights expansion.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 23, 2026

Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. 
Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Johnson 
of Georgia, Mrs. Beatty, and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the desegregation efforts at Girard College in 
Philadelphia, and the leaders involved in African-American integration 
and civil rights expansion.

Whereas Philadelphia is a diverse city, comprised of generations of African-
Americans who have contributed richly to United States history, and have 
supported national efforts in commitments to justice, equality, and 
diversity;
Whereas Temple University's exhibit, Civil Rights in a Northern City: 
Philadelphia, documents several milestones in the city's civil rights 
front that gained national attention, including the efforts to 
desegregate Girard College;
Whereas Girard College was created in 1848 by Stephen Girard to admit ``poor 
white male orphans, ages six to ten'', as cited in his will;
Whereas, in March 1954, 6 African-American boys were rejected by the Board of 
City Trust at Girard College, citing Stephen Girard's will;
Whereas, starting in 1955, Raymond Pace Alexander, a member of the Philadelphia 
City Council, led a series of legal battles citing the Brown v. Board of 
Education decision to document Girard College's admittance practices as 
contradicting the Brown decision;
Whereas the admissions barring was upheld by the Philadelphia Orphan's Court, 
and then the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania;
Whereas, on April 29, 1957, the United States Supreme Court unanimously found 
the racial ban at Girard College unconstitutional, reversing the 
previous courts' decisions;
Whereas, in October 1957, Girard College became a private institution following 
the United States Supreme Court's decision, and was allowed to uphold 
its discriminatory admitting practices;
Whereas Cecil Bassett Moore was born on April 2, 1915, in West Virginia and died 
in Philadelphia on February 13, 1979;
Whereas Cecil B. Moore was a former Marine Corps member, and attended law school 
at Temple University in Philadelphia and received his degree in 1953;
Whereas Moore was elected president of the local Philadelphia chapter of the 
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 
December 1962;
Whereas the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP was active in protesting 
segregation, leading rallies and peaceful efforts for housing access and 
equal work opportunity, gaining inspiration from the Southern Christian 
Leadership Council;
Whereas Moore was committed to expanding voting rights to African-Americans, 
helped organize protests, and pushed for the integration of Black 
students at Girard College;
Whereas, in May 1965, the NAACP led picketing at Girard College, and the 
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to demonstrators at the 
college that same year;
Whereas, on March 4, 1968, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling 
that the 7 African-American students must be admitted; and
Whereas, on May 23, 1968, Girard College voted to admit the students: Now, 
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of the desegregation efforts 
at Girard College and the Philadelphian leaders that supported 
the local and national civil rights movements;
(2) recognizes and uplifts ongoing efforts that highlight 
African-American stories and history; and
(3) recognizes the need to continue protecting diversity at 
colleges and universities throughout the Nation, and the civil 
rights of students.
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