Bill Text: CT HJ00173 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Resolution Expressing Sympathy On The Death Of Bruce L. Morris.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 34-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-08 - Rules Suspended, Transmitted to the Senate [HJ00173 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2018-HJ00173-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
House Joint Resolution No. 173 | ||
February Session, 2018 |
LCO No. 5613 | ||
*05613__________* | |||
Referred to Committee on No Committee |
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Introduced by: |
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REP. ARESIMOWICZ, 30th Dist. REP. RITTER M., 1st Dist. REP. KLARIDES, 114th Dist. SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist. SEN. DUFF, 25th Dist. REP. MORRIS, 140th Dist. REP. CANDELARIA, 95th Dist. REP. DILLON, 92nd Dist. REP. DIMASSA, 116th Dist. REP. LEMAR, 96th Dist. REP. PAOLILLO, 97th Dist. REP. PORTER, 94th Dist. REP. WALKER, 93rd Dist. REP. BAKER, 124th Dist. REP. BUTLER, 72nd Dist. REP. DE LA CRUZ, 41st Dist. REP. GIBSON, 15th Dist. REP. GONZALEZ, 3rd Dist. |
REP. HALL, 7th Dist. REP. LESSER, 100th Dist. REP. MCGEE, 5th Dist. REP. MILLER P., 145th Dist. REP. REYES, 75th Dist. REP. ROJAS, 9th Dist. REP. ROSARIO, 128th Dist. REP. SANCHEZ, 25th Dist. REP. SANTIAGO, 130th Dist. REP. SANTIAGO, 84th Dist. REP. SOTO, 39th Dist. REP. STALLWORTH, 126th Dist. REP. VARGAS, 6th Dist. SEN. MCCRORY, 2nd Dist. SEN. WINFIELD, 10th Dist. SEN. GOMES, 23rd Dist. SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist. | ||
RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SYMPATHY ON THE DEATH OF BRUCE L. MORRIS.
Resolved by this Assembly:
WHEREAS, on Saturday, November 11, 2017, the State of Connecticut lost a distinguished former legislator and longtime public servant, with the passing of Bruce L. Morris at the age of eighty-five; and
WHEREAS, he was born on March 28, 1932, in New Haven, the son of the late Brass Morris, Sr., and Leona (Foreman) Morris; and
WHEREAS, he attended Central Connecticut State College, Connecticut State Technical College and graduated from the Colonial School of Tool Design in Springfield, Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University and a M.B.A. from the University of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was the first African American to serve as a military policeman at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and was honorably discharged; and
WHEREAS, he began his lengthy political career in local government, and served as a New Haven Alderman from 1962 to 1966; and
WHEREAS, he was elected to the first of his five terms in the House of Representatives in 1967; and
WHEREAS, he was the first African American to hold a leadership position in the General Assembly, and served as Deputy Speaker, Assistant Majority Leader and Assistant Minority Leader in the House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, he served as the New Haven Democratic Town Committee Treasurer from 1968 to 1989, and was a Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee member for the 10th and the 12th senate districts from 1988 to 1990; and
WHEREAS, he was first elected as a state senator in a special election held in January 1990 to represent the 10th District in New Haven and West Haven and elected to his first full term as a senator in November of 1990; and
WHEREAS, he resigned his position of state senator to serve as Commissioner of Public Works in the administration of Governor Lowell Weicker and remained commissioner for four years until his retirement from state service in 1995; and
WHEREAS, he continued his active role in community affairs and was a member of the Branford Democratic Town Committee from 1997 to 2006 and served as chairman of the committee from 1997 to 1998; and
WHEREAS, he served as police commissioner in the town of Branford from 1999 to 2007; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his long career in public life, Bruce had a diverse career in the private sector, including as a manufacturing engineer in the aerospace and defense industry, a tool and product design engineer, an employee of Sargent Hardware and MB Electronics, a self-employed lobbyist for Fortune 500 companies, a real estate broker, a commercial mortgage broker, vice president of Mor-Fam Electric, Inc. and an employee of the Southern New England Telephone Company from 1971 to 1987, where he worked as a division manager for government affairs; and
WHEREAS, he enjoyed sharing his wealth of experience in the public and private sectors with others and was an adjunct professor and taught a course in business and government relations at the University of New Haven's Graduate College of Business; and
WHEREAS, he served on the North Haven Middle School Building Committee that was responsible for the design and renovation of the North Haven Middle School; and
WHEREAS, he was very active with organizations devoted to young people, and served as president and advisory board member of the Quinnipiac Council of the Boy Scouts of America; and
WHEREAS, he was actively involved in his community and served on the Board of Directors or Executive Board, as applicable, of many organizations, including, but not limited to: Corporation for Urban Home Ownership of New Haven, N.A.A.C.P., New Haven Democratic Federation (Chairman), Science Park Development Corporation, Farnam Neighborhood House, Connecticut Advocates for the Arts, Greater New Haven Convention and Visitor Bureau, Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Community Progress, Inc., Community Council of Greater New Haven, Community Housing Assistance Program, Operation Breakthrough (Vice Chairman) and National Veterans Fraternity, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, he was involved in many other organizations, including, but not limited to: Chairman of the South Central Community College Regional Advisory Council, on the scholarship Committee of the New Haven County Sheriff's Association, on the Committee of "20" of The University of Connecticut, founder and chairman of the Connecticut Black Legislative Caucus, in Black Elected Officials and on the N.E. Advisory Committee on Library Services for Youthful Offenders; and
WHEREAS, he was a senior member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Fairfield Chapter #6, president of the Connecticut State Federation of Black Democratic Clubs, exalted ruler and state president of the East Rock Lodge #131, committee member of the Urban League of Greater New Haven, member of Senator Christopher Dodd's U.S. Service Academy Selection Committee, member of the Black Management Association-Southern New England Telephone Company and the United Way Campaign Policy Committee; and
WHEREAS, he also served on several commissions, including the Connecticut Historical Commission, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Connecticut and the Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation; and
WHEREAS, he was recognized for his extensive contributions to his community and state and received several awards, including the Silver Beavers Award and Whitney Young Award of the Boy Scouts of America, Outstanding Freshman Legislator Award, 22nd Ward Democratic Community Achievement Award, East Rock Elks Legislative Award, Honorary Deputy Sheriff, New Haven County, Who's Who in American Politics and Fenmore Seton Award of the University of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, he was a caring and dedicated individual who was generous in donating his time and talent to his community and the entire state; and
WHEREAS, he brought joy and laughter to those around him with his incredible wit and kindness; and
WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife, Cheryl Morris, of 23 years; his son Anthony Morris and daughter-in-law Eula May, son Bruce V. Morris and daughter-in-law Gail; his daughter Sherry Dorsi and son-in-law Lawrence; his sister Sandra Holloway; his grandchildren Quentin Morris, Christian Morris, Bruce V. Morris, Jr., Gwendolyn Morris, Tisheana Perkins, Samantha Dorsi and Adriana Dorsi, several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and he was predeceased by his first wife, Gwendolyn Morris Ellis.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Connecticut General Assembly expresses its sincere sympathy and heartfelt condolences on the passing of a distinguished former legislator and longtime public servant, Bruce L. Morris, whose death is a profound loss to his family and friends, to public service, to the North Haven, New Haven and surrounding communities and to the people of the State of Connecticut; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the clerks of the Senate and the House of Representatives cause a copy of this resolution to be sent to the family of Bruce L. Morris as an expression of the high esteem and affection in which he is held.