PRINTER'S NO. 3027
No. 505 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY LEWIS, SCAVELLO, DALLY, TIGUE, ARMSTRONG, BALDWIN,
BEBKO-JONES, BUNT, CLYMER, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY, CRUZ,
DENLINGER, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO,
FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FORCIER, GABIG, GEIST, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY,
JAMES, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, MAJOR,
MANN, MARSICO, McGILL, McILHATTAN, MUSTIO, PALLONE, PHILLIPS,
READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROEBUCK, ROHRER, SAINATO, SAYLOR,
SCHRODER, SHANER, J. TAYLOR, E. Z. TAYLOR, WASHINGTON,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, HARPER AND WANSACZ, DECEMBER 8, 2003
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
DECEMBER 8, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Commemorating Hillside Inn Resort and Conference Center on its
2 upcoming golden anniversary.
3 WHEREAS, Hillside Inn was founded in 1954 and began operation
4 in Monroe County in 1955, prior to the Civil Rights Act and the
5 civil rights protections now afforded all citizens; and
6 WHEREAS, Hillside Inn, uniquely started by the Honorable
7 Albert and Odetta Murray and Abraham and Lillian Kauffman as an
8 African-American and Jewish co-owned destination resort, is one
9 of the oldest, if not the only, such resort in this Commonwealth
10 and the United States; and
11 WHEREAS, The resort began humbly as an eight-bedroom, two-
12 bathroom boarding house for African Americans and Jews and
13 created a stir in the all-white Pocono Mountain resort area when
1 Mr. Kauffman died suddenly after its joint purchase and Judge
2 Murray bought out his partner's share in the property, becoming
3 the first African-American resort owner in the Poconos; and
4 WHEREAS, In the days of segregated lunch counters, drinking
5 fountains and restrooms, Judge and Mrs. Murray found it
6 difficult to overcome the attempt to force them to sell the
7 property, including rejections from local financing, food
8 service, construction and insurance companies, but persevered,
9 allowing Hillside Inn to prosper as one of the few resorts in
10 the Poconos that would accommodate African Americans and other
11 minorities; and
12 WHEREAS, As the years passed, Judge Murray was able to take
13 more and more time away from his law practice in New York City,
14 and later from his position as a Supreme Court judge, in order
15 to help his wife, Odetta, a teacher and the resort's full-time
16 on-site manager, with property development: rooms were added, an
17 outdoor swimming pool and recreational facilities were built and
18 land was subdivided for resort-style privately owned homes; and
19 WHEREAS, In 1989 the Murrays constructed a multimillion
20 dollar resort to replace the antiquated resort, including 33
21 guest rooms, banquet and conference rooms, a dining room,
22 restaurant, art gallery, indoor pool and Jacuzzi and executive
23 golf course and featuring nightly live entertainment; and
24 WHEREAS, Hillside Inn proudly remains the sole resort in the
25 Poconos where the owners, patrons and staff are
26 indistinguishable; and
27 WHEREAS, The entrepreneurial achievements of Hillside Inn
28 have been highlighted during Black History Month in Black
29 Enterprise Magazine, history books and other national and
30 international publications; and
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1 WHEREAS, Hillside Inn's anniversary celebration is beginning
2 in January 2004 and continuing through its golden anniversary in
3 2005; therefore be it
4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the
5 golden anniversary of Hillside Inn Resort and Conference Center,
6 beginning in January 2004 and extending through the resort's
7 anniversary in 2005.
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