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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a bold champion of social |
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progress and stalwart enemy of corruption with the passing of |
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former state representative Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold of |
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Houston on September 26, 2021, at the age of 94; and |
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WHEREAS, The former Frances Tarlton was born in Corpus |
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Christi on October 2, 1926; she was the daughter of Benjamin Dudley |
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Tarlton Jr., a prominent attorney, and Catherine "Catty" Bluntzer |
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Tarlton, and she was also influenced by the legacy of her paternal |
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grandfather, who had served as a state representative and a chief |
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justice of the Court of Civil Appeals; after attending The Hockaday |
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School in Dallas, she earned her bachelor's degree in political |
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science from Vassar College at the age of 19; and |
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WHEREAS, She enrolled at The University of Texas School of |
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Law and was one of just eight women to graduate in the Class of 1949, |
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after which she joined her father's law firm; the following year, |
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she married George Farenthold, and the couple became the parents of |
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five children, James, Vincent, George, Benjamin "Dudley", and |
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Emilie; though she placed her career on hold while raising her |
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children, she became increasingly active in the civic life of |
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Corpus Christi in the early 1960s, serving as a member of the city's |
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Human Relations Commission and as director of Nueces County Legal |
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Aid and fighting to prevent the obstruction of shoreline views in |
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the area; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1968, when Ms. Farenthold launched a successful |
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bid for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, women |
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candidates were rare; sworn into office at the start of the 61st |
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Legislature the following January, she was the only woman serving |
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in the chamber and one of just two in the entire legislature; |
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pursuing a range of progressive measures during her two terms in |
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office, she sought to protect the environment, advance civil |
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rights, strengthen the social safety net, and improve public |
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education; joining with her state senate counterpart, Barbara |
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Jordan, she cosponsored the Texas Equal Rights Amendment and |
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secured its passage; and |
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WHEREAS, Perhaps best known for promoting transparency and |
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ethics reform, Representative Farenthold played a prominent role in |
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focusing public attention on the corruption exposed by the |
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Sharpstown scandal, which erupted in 1971; leading a group of |
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like-minded legislators that became known as the Dirty Thirty, she |
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demanded an investigation of the house speaker and others, and the |
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group's efforts helped bring about a sea change in Texas politics; |
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many of those connected to the scandal saw their political careers |
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come to an end, and the Dirty Thirty continued to effect reforms at |
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the State Capitol even after Representative Farenthold left office |
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at the end of the 62nd Legislature; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1972, Ms. Farenthold ran for governor, and |
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although she lost a runoff in the Democratic primary, she played a |
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central role in shaping the national party's reformist platform |
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that year; she placed second in the voting for the vice presidential |
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candidate, besting the likes of Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy, and |
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became the first woman to garner significant support for that place |
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on the ticket; the next year, she was elected as the inaugural chair |
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of the National Women's Political Caucus; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Farenthold went on to serve for four years as |
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the first female president of Wells College in Aurora, New York, |
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which was then a women-only institution; while balancing its budget |
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and expanding student recruitment, she cofounded the Public |
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Leadership Education Network to encourage young women to pursue |
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careers in public service; returning to Texas, she resumed the |
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practice of law and joined the faculties of Texas Southern |
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University and the University of Houston, where she taught one of |
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the nation's first classes on gender-based discrimination; and |
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WHEREAS, Elevating her activism to the international level, |
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Ms. Farenthold joined the board of the Helsinki Watch Committee, |
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precursor of Human Rights Watch, led protests against apartheid in |
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South Africa, and participated in peace, human rights, and |
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environmental efforts around the globe; she was also chair of the |
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Institute for Policy Studies in Washington and a member of the |
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advisory board of the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human |
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Rights and Justice at The University of Texas School of Law; other |
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notable achievements included serving as chair of the interfaith |
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Rothko Chapel in Houston for three decades and as executive |
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producer of the 2009 documentary Quest for Honor; her myriad |
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accolades include the inaugural Molly Ivins Lifetime Achievement |
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Award from the ACLU of Texas, the Lyndon Johnson Lifetime Service |
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Award from the Democratic Party of Texas, and the 2013 Women of |
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Courage Award from the National Women's Political Caucus; and |
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WHEREAS, Sissy Farenthold devoted herself wholeheartedly to |
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making the world more just, peaceful, and humane, and although she |
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is deeply missed, her vision and compassion will remain a lasting |
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source of inspiration in the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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the Honorable Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold and extend sincere |
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condolences to all who mourn her passing; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Sissy |
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Farenthold. |