House Resolution 62

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. JOHNNY ALLEN MORROW.

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, on December 27, 2021, the grand architect of the universe summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mr. Johnny Allen Morrow, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, the City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi lost a wonderful friend and community leader with the passing of Mr. Morrow, who was called "Bootsy" by those who knew and loved him and was born on October 21, 1954, and he attended Lanier High School and Jackson State University; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Morrow was a well-known and respected entrepreneur, businessman and collector in the Georgetown Community in Jackson, as he owned and operated his own automobile car dealership and detail car shop for decades at Five Points in the Jackson area, and he was the first African-American automobile wholesaler in the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, because of Mr. Morrow's extensive knowledge and expertise, automobile dealerships relied heavily upon him to provide dollar figures to trade for automobiles that needed appraising, giving rise to his nickname within the automobile industry, Johnny "Retail" Morrow; and

WHEREAS, not only was Mr. Morrow's proficiency apparent to his fellow automobile dealers, but he had a passion for collecting and restoring antique cars and referred to his inventory as "The Morrow Collection," and even Hollywood recognized his prowess and eye for detail as some of his vintage cars appeared in the movie, The Help; and

WHEREAS, a legend, a thinker, an innovator, a visionary, a historian and a creative genius, Mr. Morrow used his many talents and hobbies to establish a rental hall and multi-purpose complex known as "The Room" located at Five Points, and through his passion and vision to create such a facility, some of Mississippi's most interesting and fascinating history has been preserved, and "The Room" has seen numerous celebrities walk through its doors, including Muhammad Ali, Dan Aykroyd, Snoop Dogg and Morgan Freeman; and

WHEREAS, additionally, one of Johnny's many community projects was the development of a magazine entitled Jackson Cars, The Legends of the Automobile Industry, which enabled him to reflect on the automobile industry pioneers he encountered during his career and publish their stories and contributions to the City of Jackson, which had fascinated him for many years; and

WHEREAS, in 1965, the Lanier High School Bulldogs Basketball Team was the only Mississippi high school basketball team to ever win a national championship, but the team was never properly honored because it occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, so for 48 years, their trophy just collected dust in the trophy case, but in January 2013, Mr. Morrow organized and brought together state, city and county entities and local businesses and individuals to properly recognize the team, and the Lanier High School Bulldogs Basketball Team received their national championship rings and were inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and their story also became part of our nation's Congressional Record; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Morrow's love and affection pierced the heart and soul of Hazel, the love of his life, and on September 12, 1992, the two love birds exchanged the vows of holy matrimony and spent the next 29 years traveling and spending time together; and

WHEREAS, in his spare time, Mr. Morrow truly loved spending time with his family and friends, cracking jokes, listening to music and watching football; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Johnny Allen Morrow's bright sense of humor, remarkable intelligence and pure heart left an indelible impression in the hearts and minds of his many friends and family, who are left to cherish his memory, including: his brother, Leon (Debra) Morrow; sister, Frances Quin; sister-in-law, Tameaker Hicks; brother-in-law, Dwight (Linda) Johnson; father-in-law, Melkiah Barnes; special cousin, Elvie Willis; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend the life and service of such a genuine and selfless individual as Mr. Johnny Allen Morrow, whose life's light illuminated the path of hope for all he encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Mr. Johnny Allen Morrow and express sincere and deepest sympathy upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mr. Johnny Allen Morrow and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.