LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Meadowlark Lemon, outstand-
ing athlete, entertainer, sports icon, and devoted member of his commu-
nity

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding athletes who distinguish themselves through their excep-
tional performance, attaining unprecedented success and the highest
level of personal achievement; and
WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Meadowlark Lemon, noting the significance of
his purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Meadowlark Lemon, a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrot-
ters, died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sunday, December 27, 2015, at the
age of 83; and
WHEREAS, Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Meadowlark Lemon gradu-
ated from Williston Industrial School in 1952; after graduation, he was
matriculated into Florida A&M University, however, he was drafted into
the United States Army, where he proudly served his country for two
years stationed in Austria and West Germany; and
WHEREAS, At the young age of 22, Meadowlark Lemon applied to become a
member of the Harlem Globetrotters in 1954; one year later, he was
chosen to play on the world famous basketball team; and
WHEREAS, The Harlem Globetrotters toured the world, breaking cultural
and social barriers along with basketball records; they were the first
team to play basketball in Europe; and
WHEREAS, Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters
have showcased their iconic talents in 120 countries and territories on
six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while
providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, Meadowlark Lemon left to form one of his Globetrot-
ters imitators, the Bucketeers; he played with that team until 1983, and
then moved on to play with the Shooting Stars from 1984-1987; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, Meadowlark Lemon formed the Meadowlark Lemon's
Harlem All Stars team; despite being with his own touring team, he
returned to the Harlem Globetrotters, playing 50 games with them in
1994; and
WHEREAS, Meadowlark Lemon was the recipient of the 2000 John Bunn
Award, an auspicious honor given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame; three years later, he was inducted into the Naismith Memo-
rial Basketball Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, During the 1970s, an animated version of Meadowlark Lemon,
voiced by Scatman Crothers, starred with various other Globetrotters in
the Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon series "Harlem Globetrotters", as
well as its spinoff, "The Super Globetrotters"; the animated Harlem
Globetrotters also made three appearances in "The New Scooby-Doo
Movies"; and
WHEREAS, From 1974-1975, Meadowlark Lemon appeared alongside Fred
"Curly" Neal, Marques Haynes and his other fellow Harlem Globetrotters
in a live-action Saturday-morning television show; in 1978, he appeared
in a memorable Burger King commercial, and in 1983, he was seen in a
Charmin advertisement; and
WHEREAS, In 1979, Meadowlark Lemon starred in the educational
geography film "Meadowlark Lemon Presents the World"; in that same year,
he joined the cast of the short-lived television sitcom "Hello, Larry,"
and played Reverend Grady Jackson in the movie "The Fish That Saved
Pittsburgh"; and

WHEREAS, A few years later, Meadowlark Lemon was featured in the Gram-
my-nominated video "Fun & Games," an interactive educational video
produced by Optical Programming Associates and Scholastic Productions;
and
WHEREAS, A born-again Christian, Meadowlark Lemon became an ordained
minister in 1986, and received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Vision
International University in Ramona, California, in 1988; he was also
featured as a gospel singer within several Gaither Homecoming videos;
and
WHEREAS, In the last years of his life, Meadowlark Lemon lived in
Scottsdale, Arizona, where he and his wife operated Meadowlark Lemon
Ministries, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to "changing
lives, to change the world"; and
WHEREAS, Meadowlark Lemon is survived by his wife, Dr. Cynthia Lemon,
and his 10 children, Richard, George, Beverly, Donna, Robin, Jonathan,
Jamison, Angela, Crystal, and Caleb; and
WHEREAS, A gifted athlete, Meadowlark Lemon was a renowned role model
in the sport of professional basketball; his character and achievements
stand as a sterling example and inspiration to all who would aspire to
success; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Meadowlark Lemon leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; he will be deeply missed; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Meadowlark Lemon, outstanding athlete, entertainer,
sports icon, and devoted member of his community, and to offer its
sincerest condolences to his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Meadowlark Lemon.