THE BILL ITSELF
HR 8105
120th Anniversary of the Birth of E. Lilyan Spencer
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House Resolution
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A resolution recognizing the life and legacy of E.
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Lilyan Spencer on the 120th anniversary of her birth.
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer was born in 1906, in
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Tallahassee, Florida, to the Rev. Abraham B. Spencer (1863-
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1924), of Decatur, Georgia and Lucinda C. Stroman Spencer (1871-
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1933), of Tallahassee, and
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer was a lifelong Tallahassee
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native, graduating from the original Lincoln High School and
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earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics with a special
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certification in administration and supervision from Florida
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Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), and
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WHEREAS, throughout her life, E. Lilyan Spencer was a
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distinguished leader in athletics, education, business, and
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community service, and
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WHEREAS, playing professional tennis throughout the 1930s,
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E. Lilyan Spencer was a nationally celebrated athlete, playing
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on the segregated national tennis circuit and winning 10 state
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championships, and
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WHEREAS, in 1931, E. Lilyan Spencer was the Florida Tennis
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Association Women's Singles Champion, and she held this title
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for 10 years without suffering a defeat in competition, and
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer secured her place in
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professional tennis history by winning a national tennis title
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at the 1937 Southern Open Championship, also known as the 21st
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American Tennis Association Nationals, becoming the first
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African American woman from Tallahassee to win a national sports
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title, and
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WHEREAS, the athletic excellence, discipline, and
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perseverance of E. Lilyan Spencer broke barriers for women and
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African Americans in competitive sports and earned her
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posthumous recognition by the International Tennis Hall of Fame,
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and
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WHEREAS, after her career in tennis ended, E. Lilyan
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Spencer moved into education, first as a math teacher,
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basketball coach, and athletic director, and eventually as the
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first female principal at then Bond Junior High School, and
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer was also a committed community
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service leader, playing an integral role in the establishment of
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the Bond Community Credit Union, an organization for which she
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served as Treasurer, as well as chair of the Negro Division of
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the March of Dimes campaign to raise money for children with
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polio, and
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WHEREAS, in 1947, E. Lilyan Spencer was issued a permit to
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open a restaurant and, although the name of the restaurant is
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not known, she applied for a county permit to sell beer from the
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location, and
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer was a real estate investor and
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property owner who sold lots to former Bond principal Walton S.
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Seabrooks, the Lewis family, and to Mozerna Riley, widow of
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educator John G. Riley, and sold homes and granted mortgages to
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blacks as well as whites, and
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WHEREAS, in late 1956, E. Lilyan Spencer was admitted to
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FAMU hospital for an undisclosed illness and died in Tallahassee
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on January 24, 1957, at the age of 51, and
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WHEREAS, E. Lilyan Spencer's life exemplified leadership,
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public service, resilience, and excellence, and her legacy
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remains a source of pride for the City of Tallahassee, Leon
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County, and the State of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
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Florida:
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That the 120th anniversary of the birth of E. Lilyan
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Spencer is recognized, and that she is honored for her
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extraordinary contributions to education, athletics, and
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community service.