Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2036 By Senator Thurston 33-03534-21 20212036__ Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Senate Resolution 1 A resolution honoring George H. Starke, Jr., for the 2 important role he played in the desegregation of 3 institutions of higher education in this state. 4 5 WHEREAS, George H. Starke, Jr., was born on September 8, 6 1931, in Orlando, to Dr. George H. Starke, Sr., a physician in 7 Sanford who was the first African American to gain membership in 8 the Florida Medical Association, and Mattie L.

Murrell Starke, a 9 former librarian at Jones High School, and 10 WHEREAS, George H. Starke, Jr., attended Holden Street 11 Elementary School and Jones High School in Orlando before being 12 enrolled at the Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial Institute boarding 13 school in Sedalia, North Carolina, and 14 WHEREAS, after his graduation from the Alice Freeman Palmer 15 Memorial Institute in 1949, George H. Starke, Jr., began his 16 studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and 17 WHEREAS, because of the Korean War, George H.

Starke, Jr., 18 left Morehouse College to join the United States Air Force, 19 becoming adjutant to the depot commander, and 20 WHEREAS, during his service, George H. Starke, Jr., helped 21 lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new building on the 22 Kisarazu Air Field in Japan, an honor bestowed on Mr. Starke 23 because of his many accomplishments and his volunteer work in 24 making base operations more efficient, and 25 WHEREAS, after the war, George H. Starke, Jr., returned to 26 Morehouse College, where he joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, 27 and 28 WHEREAS, in 1957, when George H.

Starke, Jr., graduated 29 Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2036 33-03534-21 20212036__ Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in business 30 administration, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Morehouse 31 alumnus, who delivered the commencement address, and 32 WHEREAS, George H.

Starke, Jr., then applied to the 33 University of Florida law school and, in 1958, became the first 34 African-American student to enroll at the university in its 105-35 year history, and 36 WHEREAS, on September 15, 1958, as dozens of reporters and 37 photographers gathered to observe, report on, and photograph the 38 event, George H. Starke, Jr., entered an auditorium on the 39 university’s campus and was separated from his classmates by an 40 empty row, and 41 WHEREAS, throughout the first semester, George H.

Starke, 42 Jr., was escorted to classes by members of the Florida Highway 43 Patrol, who had hidden their identity and registered as 44 students, enrolling in the same classes as Mr. Starke to ensure 45 his safety, a precaution that would later prove warranted when 46 James Meredith, the first African-American student admitted to 47 the University of Mississippi, was shot by a sniper, and 48 WHEREAS, in spite of the fact that George H.

Starke, Jr., 49 experienced negative incidents while attending the University of 50 Florida, such as learning that his name had been mentioned at a 51 Ku Klux Klan meeting, being warned by school administrators to 52 avoid driving through the Ocala National Forest due to Klan 53 activity, and finding a mentor only with great difficulty, Mr. 54 Starke’s classmates largely left him alone, and 55 WHEREAS, one classmate in particular, Fredric G. Levin, for 56 whom the law school is now named, befriended George H.

Starke, 57 Jr., and the two remained lifelong friends until Levin’s death 58 Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2036 33-03534-21 20212036__ Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. in January 2021, and 59 WHEREAS, because of continuing challenges during his 60 enrollment at the University of Florida, George H. Starke, Jr., 61 withdrew from the institution and saw his departure documented 62 in the campus newspaper, and 63 WHEREAS, George H.

Starke, Jr., moved to New York and began 64 a career in investment banking, which involved top positions 65 with Wall Street firms, and 66 WHEREAS, after a career in investment banking and oil 67 distributorship, George H. Starke, Jr., launched his own 68 consulting firm, and 69 WHEREAS, in 2015, George H. Starke, Jr., returned to the 70 Orlando area after living on the East Coast for most of his 71 life, and 72 WHEREAS, despite not having the opportunity to obtain his 73 Juris Doctor degree, George H.

Starke, Jr., enjoys a warm and 74 congenial relationship with the University of Florida, having 75 served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and with the 76 University of Florida Foundation, and 77 WHEREAS, George H. Starke, Jr., has participated in several 78 ceremonies for the university’s Fredric G.

Levin College of Law 79 and in activities that have marked desegregation at the law 80 school, including his recognition by its Center for the Study of 81 Race and Race Relations in 1998 and 2018, and 82 WHEREAS, the University of Florida planted a tree on the 83 grounds of the Levin College of Law in honor of George H. 84 Starke, Jr., and it bears a plaque with his name, and Mr.

Starke 85 was selected by the university for membership in Florida Blue 86 Key, an honorary leadership society, and 87 Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2036 33-03534-21 20212036__ Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. WHEREAS, in 2009, George H. Starke, Jr., was awarded the 88 University of Florida’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, and, in 89 2019, 61 years after he had first entered the law school, Mr. 90 Starke received the most notable recognition, the honorary 91 Doctorate of Laws, from the Levin College of Law, and 92 WHEREAS, today, at nearly 90 years old, George H.

Starke, 93 Jr., still consults on large energy projects and shares a full 94 and productive life with his wife, Barbara M. Starke, and close 95 family ties with his son, Andrew Starke; his daughter-in-law, 96 Angela Starke; and his grandchildren, Sydney and Spencer Starke, 97 NOW, THEREFORE, 98 99 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 100 101 That George H. Starke, Jr., is honored for the important 102 role he played in the desegregation of institutions of higher 103 education in Florida. 104 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be 105 presented to George H.

Starke, Jr., as a tangible token of the 106 sentiments expressed herein. 107