[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 73 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 73

 Honoring the life of Dr. Ronald W. Walters and commending his life as 
  an example to future generations of the people of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 29, 2010

Mr. Brownback (for himself, Mr. Burris, and Mr. Roberts) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the life of Dr. Ronald W. Walters and commending his life as 
  an example to future generations of the people of the United States.

Whereas Dr. Walters was born on July 20, 1938, in Wichita, Kansas, the eldest of 
        7 children born to Gilmar and Maxine Fray Walters;
Whereas Dr. Walters received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from 
        Fisk University in 1963, a Master of Arts in African Studies from 
        American University in 1966, and a Doctor of Philosophy in International 
        Studies from American University in 1971;
Whereas Dr. Walters was a lifelong scholar and activist on civil rights issues;
Whereas in July 1958, while a student at Fisk University, Dr. Walters organized 
        with his cousin, Carol Parks, a 3-week, silent sit-in at the Dockum Drug 
        Store in Wichita, Kansas, to protest the segregated lunch counters at 
        the Dockum Drug Store;
Whereas during the sit-in at the Dockum Drug Store, Dr. Walters, Carol Parks, 
        and the other sit-in participants were taunted for their activism, which 
        inspired others to join the protest and contributed to the eventual 
        success of the sit-in;
Whereas as a result of the sit-in, the owner of the Dockum Drug Store eliminated 
        the segregated lunch counters;
Whereas the success of the sit-in at the Dockum Drug Store led Dr. Walters and 
        his fellow protestors to organize sit-ins at other segregated 
        restaurants in Wichita, Kansas, which inspired others to organize sit-
        ins throughout the United States as acts of civil disobedience during 
        the civil rights movement;
Whereas Dr. Walters was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Syracuse 
        University from 1968 through 1969;
Whereas Dr. Walters served as chair of the Afro-American Studies department at 
        Brandeis University from 1969 through 1971;
Whereas Dr. Walters left Brandeis University for Howard University in 1971, 
        where Dr. Walters taught for 25 years, serving as chair of the Political 
        Science department from 1990 to 1996;
Whereas throughout his time at Howard University, Dr. Walters continued to work 
        as an activist for civil rights policies;
Whereas Dr. Walters served as a top advisor for Congressman Charles Diggs, the 
        first Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and helped Congressman 
        Diggs conceptualize the strategic vision of the Congressional Black 
        Caucus;
Whereas Dr. Walters served on the staff of Congressman William Gray, III, in 
        1979;
Whereas Dr. Walters served as the Deputy Campaign Manager for the 1984 
        Presidential campaign of the Reverend Jesse Jackson and as the 
        Conventions Operations Consultant for the 1988 Presidential campaign of 
        the Reverend Jesse Jackson;
Whereas Dr. Walters authored many political articles and books, and over the 
        course of his academic career, received the Ralph Bunche Award for Black 
        Presidential Politics in America from the American Political Science 
        Association and the Best Book Award for Black Presidential Politics in 
        America from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists;
Whereas Dr. Walters was a Professor of Government and Politics at the University 
        of Maryland College Park from 1996 through 2009;
Whereas throughout his life, Dr. Walters was an active member of many national 
        organizations, including the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the Omicron 
        Delta Kappa fraternity, and the Pi Sigma Alpha fraternity;
Whereas Dr. Walters founded 2 national organizations, the National Congress of 
        Black Faculty and the National Black Independent Political Party;
Whereas Dr. Walters was an active member of many professional associations, 
        including the African Heritage Studies Association, the American 
        Political Science Association, the Association of Black Sociologists, 
        the National Black Leadership Roundtable, the National Conference of 
        Black Political Scientists, the Ralph Bunche Institute, the Social 
        Science Research Council, and the Southern Christian Leadership 
        Conference;
Whereas Dr. Walters participated in several important research studies including 
        the National Black Election Study carried out from 1984 through 1985 
        with the Institute for Social and Political Research at the University 
        of Michigan, the 1971 through 1973 Advisory Board Research Program, and 
        the 1974 through 1979 Public Policy Fellows Program carried out at the 
        Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, DC;
Whereas Dr. Walters received many university faculty honors, including the 1982 
        Distinguished Faculty Award from Howard University, the 1992 
        Distinguished Alumnus Award from Fisk University, the 2000 School of 
        International Service Alumnus of the Year award from American 
        University, and the Distinguished Faculty Award from the University of 
        Maryland College Park;
Whereas Dr. Walters received many academic awards, including the 1963 Reader's 
        Digest Writing Award, the 1984 Distinguished Scholar/Activist Award from 
        The Black Scholar Magazine, the 1985 Ida Wells Barnett Award from the 
        Association of Black School Educators, and an Honorary Doctorate of 
        Humane Letters from Fisk University in 2010;
Whereas Dr. Walters received several national service awards, including the 1st 
        annual Distinguished Service Award from the Wichita Black Historical 
        Society in 1987 and the 2002 Award for Distinguished Service to the 
        Devolution Initiative from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation;
Whereas the sit-in at the Dockum Drug Store occurred almost 2 years before the 
        more well-publicized lunchroom sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina, 
        but the sit-in had received little national attention until Dr. Walters 
        was honored in 2006 with a medal from the NAACP for organizing the 
        historical Wichita, Kansas, sit-in;
Whereas Dr. Walters died on September 10, 2010, at the age of 72 in Silver 
        Spring, Maryland;
Whereas Dr. Walters was honored with a memorial service on September 16, 2010, 
        at Howard University, as Dr. Walters had intended to return to Howard 
        University as a senior researcher and lecturer;
Whereas Dr. Walters was also honored with a memorial service on September 20, 
        2010, at the historic Shiloh Baptist church; and
Whereas the eulogy for Dr. Walters was delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson 
        at both memorial services: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) expresses the condolences of Congress to family of Dr. 
        Ronald W. Walters, especially his wife, Mrs. Patricia Walters, 
        his 3 brothers, Duane, Terrance, and Kevin, and his 2 sisters, 
        Marcia and Sharon; and
            (2) honors the life of Dr. Ronald W. Walters, an ambassador 
        for freedom and democracy, whose lifelong dedication and 
        service stand as an outstanding example of leadership for all 
        mankind.
                                 <all>