House Concurrent Resolution 106

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MARIA LUISA ALVAREZ HARVEY.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1, that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Dr. Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family and friends; and

WHEREAS, born the eldest of five children in Torreon, Mexico, Dr. Harvey's father ran a newspaper and her mother supplemented their income with sewing, but because her generous, selfless father was known for giving the shirt off his back to help others, the family had very little in the form of riches; and

WHEREAS, at the age of 14, after her father died and left very little for her mother and her siblings, Dr. Harvey had to step up to help care for her family, so she was sent to work in her uncle's printing business, and all of the money that she made was sent back home to help her family put groceries on the table and pay for her siblings to attend parochial school; and

WHEREAS, when she and her family legally immigrated to the United States, Dr. Harvey went to cosmetology school and worked in her aunt's beauty salon, again sending all of her earnings to help her family, but when she married and had her son, she decided that it was time for her to earn a high school diploma, as she had only been to elementary school and only had a couple of years learning the English language; and

WHEREAS, instead of finishing high school, Dr. Harvey took a college entrance exam for Texas Western College, now UTEP, and from there, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, and furthered her education at the University of Arizona, where she earned her Ph.D. and her Phi Beta Kappa key, Jackson State University, where she earned her master's in education, and served as a visiting scholar for two summers at Harvard University; and

WHEREAS, during a teaching career that spanned 60 years, dwarfing most others by comparison, Dr. Harvey spent the last 40-plus years at Jackson State University, where she served as an educator and the first dean of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College for more than 30 years, and imparted to her students the belief which she had followed, that you are not defined by the size of your parents' bank account, the circumstances of your birth or the opinions of others; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey would do absolutely anything for her students, as she won her share of enemies by climbing over people to protect her students, expanded their world by taking them to plays, the ballet and opera, helped them secure co-ops with major companies and institutions and secured their place in graduate schools and internships; and

WHEREAS, while no building has been named after her and she was not given emeritus status when she retired from Jackson State University, Dr. Harvey's legacy lives on in the successes of her students, including one federal judge, lawyers, physicians, surgeons, nurses, scientists, pharmacists, physicists, biochemists, engineers, CEOs, business owners and educators; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and honor the lives of fine Mississippians, especially those such as Dr. Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey, a gracious woman who always put others before herself, loved her family and friends unconditionally, and strived to provide the best education for each of her students, bringing glory and honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey, and express deepest sympathy to her family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Dr. Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.