| Sponsor | Rep. Watt, Melvin L. |
| Committee | Oversight and Government Reform |
| Date | April 21, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Adam Hepburn |
H.Res. 320 is being considered on the floor under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage. This legislation was introduced by Representative Melvin Watt (D-NC) on April 2, 2009.
H.Res. 320 resolves that the House of Representatives:
• "Honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin; and
• "Encourages the Nation to recognize his academic contributions, scholarship, and service to the American society and history."
According to the resolution's findings, Dr. John Hope Franklin was born on January 2, 1915, in Rentiesville, Oklahoma. He was a graduate of Fisk University and a recipient of a Ph.D. degree in history from Harvard University. Dr. John Hope Franklin's numerous publications include "From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans," "The Emancipation Proclamation," "The Militant South," "The Free Negro in North Carolina," "Reconstruction After the Civil War," "A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Ante-bellum North."
Dr. John Hope Franklin was active in numerous professional and educational organizations including serving as President of The Organization of American Historians, the American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, and the first African-American to serve as President of the American Historical Association. Dr. Franklin passed away on March 25, 2009, in Durham, North Carolina.