ADOPTED - AUGUST 24, 2010

                                                                                                                                                   Agenda Item No. 26

Introduced by the Finance Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION HONORING DR. CLARENCE UNDERWOOD

RESOLUTION #10-261

WHEREAS, Clarence Underwood, Jr. Ph.D. is the founding Chairman of the Ingham Change Initiative and is a widely respected community leader; and 

WHEREAS, Clarence Underwood directed a new women's recreation center at Northern Michigan for two years, his next stop was at the University of Wisconsin, where he was asked to organize a program for black students, only to find that the project lacked funding; and

WHEREAS, he was recognized for his work in academics in 1978, by being elected president of the National Academic Athletic Association, where he developed MSU's first Title IX proposal showing the University's compliance in gender equity with the new federal law; and

WHEREAS, Clarence served as the liaison with each school's director of athletics during his years at the Big Ten, he also initiated the popular Big Ten SCORE program (Success Comes Out of Reading Everyday) for inner city children, promoted the Big Ten Advisory Commission to give voice to minority/equity issues and established lofty standards in the area of academic advising and institutional compliance; and

WHEREAS, in 1999 the National Consortium for Academics and Sports selected him as one of seven recipients of the National Student-Athlete Day Giant Steps Award, Clarence and the six other honorees were invited to the White House where they met with President Bill Clinton; and

WHEREAS, Clarence is the co-founder of National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) to assist student-athletes in maintaining their eligibility and achieving a viable education leading to graduation, without his intervention, hundreds of athletes would never have earned degrees.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby honors Dr. Clarence Underwood, Jr. for his dedication to the community, for his ability to unite diverse sectors of the community and for serving as an advocate on behalf of young people.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board wishes him continued success on all of his future endeavors.

 FINANCE:  Yeas:  Grebner, Tennis, Bahar-Cook, Schor, Holman, Dougan

  Nays:  None                Absent:  None        Approved 8/18/10