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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a distinguished and pivotal |
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figure in Texas politics on May 29, 2011, with the death of former |
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governor William P. Clements, Jr.; and |
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WHEREAS, The state's second-longest-serving governor and |
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first Republican governor since Reconstruction, Bill Clements was |
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initially elected in 1978, having never before run for public |
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office; he served until 1983 and then made a stunning comeback four |
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years later to serve another term; and |
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WHEREAS, During his combined eight-year tenure, he |
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established a reputation as an efficient, business-like chief |
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executive, and his gubernatorial appointments generally reflected |
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a results-oriented approach; he also named the first two women to |
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the Texas Supreme Court and the first African American to the Texas |
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Court of Criminal Appeals; moreover, he took a leading role in the |
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war on drugs and advocated powerfully for anticrime bills passed by |
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the legislature, and he initiated an extensive renovation of the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Dallas on April 13, 1917, Bill Clements was |
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an all-state guard on the Highland Park High School football team; |
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he was offered athletic scholarships but turned them down in order |
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to help his family during the Great Depression; after working in |
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South Texas as a roughneck and driller, he attended The University |
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of Texas at Austin and graduated from Southern Methodist University |
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in 1939; he returned to the oil fields, and in 1947 he and two |
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partners borrowed the money to buy two oil rigs and start a company, |
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SEDCO, which grew to become the world's largest oil drilling |
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contracting firm; and |
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WHEREAS, This self-made multimillionaire initially rejected |
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attempts by Texas Republicans to recruit him for public office |
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though he worked actively in the party; in 1972, he served as Texas |
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co-chair of President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign, and he |
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was appointed deputy secretary of defense the following year and |
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remained at the Pentagon during the Ford administration; he decided |
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to run for governor in 1978 and surprised many when he defeated a |
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better-known opponent; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Governor Clements was a generous |
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benefactor of institutions of higher education; he and his wife, |
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Rita, contributed well over $20 million for facilities, programs, |
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and professorships at SMU, and he served several terms as a member |
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and officer of the board of trustees; through his support, the |
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university's William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies |
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developed into an internationally known catalyst for research, |
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publishing, and public programming in a variety of disciplines |
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related to the American Southwest and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands; |
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named trustee emeritus in 1991, he was also recognized with the |
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Mustang Award, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and the |
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SMU Distinguished Alumni Award; in 2009, Governor Clements |
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continued his philanthropy and gave a remarkable $100 million to UT |
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Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the largest single gift in |
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the history of the institution; and |
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WHEREAS, Plain-spoken, pragmatic, and dedicated to the |
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prosperity of the Lone Star State, Bill Clements brought a business |
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perspective to government, and his achievements will continue to |
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resonate in the lives of his fellow Texans for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable William P. |
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Clements, Jr., and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Rita Crocker Clements; to his daughter, Nancy |
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Clements Seay; and to all those who mourn the passing of this |
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esteemed Texan; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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former governor Bill Clements. |
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Branch |
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Straus |
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Hilderbran |
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Straus |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Morrison |
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Aliseda |
Gonzalez |
Munoz, Jr. |
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Anderson of Dallas |
Hancock |
Orr |
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Anderson of McLennan |
Hardcastle |
Otto |
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Beck |
Harper-Brown |
Patrick |
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Bohac |
Hernandez Luna |
Pena |
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Burkett |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Pitts |
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Burnam |
Howard of Travis |
Price |
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Button |
Huberty |
Quintanilla |
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Callegari |
Hunter |
Reynolds |
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Christian |
Keffer |
Schwertner |
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Coleman |
King of Parker |
Scott |
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Cook |
King of Taylor |
Sheets |
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Craddick |
King of Zavala |
Sheffield |
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Creighton |
Kleinschmidt |
Shelton |
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Crownover |
Kolkhorst |
Simpson |
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Darby |
Kuempel |
Smith of Harris |
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Davis of Dallas |
Landtroop |
Smith of Tarrant |
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J. Davis of Harris |
Larson |
Smithee |
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S. Davis of Harris |
Laubenberg |
Solomons |
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Driver |
Legler |
Taylor of Collin |
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Dukes |
Lewis |
Taylor of Galveston |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Frullo |
Martinez Fischer |
Weber |
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Giddings |
Miller of Comal |
Zedler |
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Gonzales of Hidalgo |
Miller of Erath |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 2 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the House on May 30, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 2 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the Senate on May 30, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |