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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Victoria Advocate is marking the 175th |
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anniversary of its founding in 2021; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 8, 1846, the Texan Advocate made its debut, |
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and that very day, it published an extra edition to notify residents |
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of the battle of Palo Alto, the first engagement of the |
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Mexican-American War; the name was soon changed to Texian Advocate |
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at the behest of pioneers; in the early days, the paper was |
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delivered by horseback to readers in places as far away as Gonzales, |
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New Braunfels, and San Antonio; it gained a new means of |
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distribution when Victoria became the headquarters for three |
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stagecoach lines; sometime between 1859 and 1861, the present-day |
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name was adopted; and |
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WHEREAS, Morris Roberts purchased the paper in 1942 with |
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other leading citizens and bought up all the stock 19 years later; |
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eventually, he shared ownership with his son, John M. Roberts, and |
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daughter, Catherine R. "Kay" McHaney; Morris Roberts remained |
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active in the community and the company and continued to serve as |
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chair of the board until his death in 1991; and |
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WHEREAS, Parent company M. Roberts Media has grown in recent |
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years with the acquisition of newspapers in Longview, Tyler, |
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Marshall, Panola, and Kilgore; while John M. Roberts is retired as |
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president and publisher, Mrs. McHaney still serves as |
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secretary-treasurer; the third generation is represented by the |
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current president and publisher, Stephen McHaney, and chair of the |
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board, Gordon McHaney; since the launch of its website in 1999, the |
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Advocate has steadily developed its digital presence, and today, |
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the second-oldest newspaper in Texas has subscribers all over the |
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world; and |
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WHEREAS, The Victoria Advocate has played a vital role in the |
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lives of countless people over the course of its rich history, |
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serving as a valued source of information and connecting readers to |
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their community, and its continued existence is a tribute to the |
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enduring commitment to excellence of its owners and staff; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Victoria Advocate on its 175th |
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anniversary and extend to all those associated with the paper |
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sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the paper as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |