Founders Tribute

Karl L. Gotting

WHEREAS, Karl Gotting, upon arriving in East Lansing in the 1960s as an attorney with Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, & Davis, joined the Greater Lansing Community Organization, chairing its Housing Task Force, and

WHEREAS, Karl soon met Truman Morrison, Pastor of the Edgewood United Church of Christ, a congregation deeply committed to social justice, and

WHEREAS, through their efforts, in 1970 the church decided to build an income and racially diverse community of town houses for families and individuals, and apartments for seniors and physically challenged persons, and

WHEREAS, the creation of Edgewood Village launched Karl on his way to become the most knowledgeable and respected attorney in Michigan working to provide affordable housing for low-income people, and

WHEREAS, Karl has served, with the support of Sharon Atkins and his colleagues, especially Eldonna Ruddock, as legal counsel pro bono since 1988 for the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition, Edgewood Village Non-Profit Housing Development Corporation, Closing the Digital Gap, Jefferson Street Square Apartments and Walnut Apartments for homeless persons who are mentally ill, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the Edgewood Village Non-Profit Housing Development Corporation and the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition express their gratitude for Karl's leadership in our common work, without which none of this would have happened, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in honor of his distinguished service in advocating the urgent need for decent and affordable housing for all people, we hereby establish the Karl Gotting/Truman Morrison Edgewood Village Community Outreach Fund.

September 21, 2004

Reverend Truman Morrison

WHEREAS, we are deeply grateful to the Reverend Truman Morrison, retired Pastor of Edgewood United Church of Christ, for a lifelong ministry committed to the values of peace, justice, equality and the dignity of every human being, and

WHEREAS, a concrete example of Truman's steadfast adherence to his convictions is his advocacy in the struggle for civil rights, especially for speakingout, petitioning, and demonstrating for an Open Occupancy Ordinance in the City of East Lansing from 1963 until its enactment into law in 1968.

WHEREAS, Truman practiced what he preached, courageously teaching by example, encouraging the congregation to reach out to those most vulnerable, and WHEREAS, when Truman collaborated with parishioner-attorney-housing specialist Karl Gotting, no one was surprised when Truman led the congregation to build an income and racially diverse community of town houses for families and individuals, and apartments for seniors and physically challenged persons, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the Edgewood Village Non-Profit Housing Corporation, the staff and residents of Edgewood Village applaud the Reverend Truman Morrison for his visionary leadership in building and sustaining the Village, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as we celebrate the many contributions made by the Village to improve the quality of life of its residents and the larger community, we hereby establish the Karl Gotting/Truman Morrison Edgewood Village Community Outreach Fund.

September 21, 2004