By: Seidlits H.C.R. No. 72 73R5811 KMP-D CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature is proud to honor Sherman 1-2 businessman and civic leader Ben Blackburn for his outstanding 1-3 contributions to the residents of Sherman and Grayson County; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Born on October 8, 1906, in Reyno, Arkansas, 1-5 Mr. Blackburn attended classes in a two-room country schoolhouse 1-6 as a boy; throughout his life, he has remained faithful to these 1-7 small-town roots, dedicating himself to improving the lives of 1-8 those in his family and community; and 1-9 WHEREAS, This exceptional gentleman and his wife, Irma, were 1-10 married in 1924, and soon thereafter he embarked on a successful 1-11 career in milling while continuing to further his education; and 1-12 WHEREAS, During his 10-year apprenticeship in grain 1-13 processing at Valier and Spies Milling Company in St. Louis, 1-14 Missouri, Mr. Blackburn studied engineering and business through 1-15 the La Salle Extension University correspondence program; he also 1-16 attended night classes in mathematics and engineering at Washington 1-17 University, one of the most prestigious universities in the 1-18 Midwest; and 1-19 WHEREAS, For three decades, this diligent entrepreneur won 1-20 the respect and admiration of his many peers, operating mills that 1-21 processed between 500 and 50,000 hundredweight per day in many 1-22 states, including Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Kansas, and 1-23 Texas; and 1-24 WHEREAS, Moving to his adopted hometown of Sherman, Texas, in 2-1 1950, Mr. Blackburn joined Fant Milling as general superintendent; 2-2 responding to changes in the Texas economy, he changed careers at 2-3 age 51, when he was hired as manager of Texoma, Inc., a 2-4 manufacturer of drilling equipment; and 2-5 WHEREAS, Having worked his way up to become president and 2-6 chief executive officer of the company that had evolved into 2-7 Reedrill, Inc., he has won countless awards from business and 2-8 professional organizations; an honorary life member of the Texas 2-9 Association of Business and the International Association of 2-10 Operative Millers, he won the first exceptional service award ever 2-11 given by the Texas Electric Co-operatives and was honored with the 2-12 Sherman Chamber of Commerce presidential award; and 2-13 WHEREAS, During the last four decades, this distinguished 2-14 citizen has built a distinguished record of service to his 2-15 community; he has been an elder of the Presbyterian church, a 2-16 charter member of Goals for Sherman, and a board member of Goodwill 2-17 Industry of Northeast Texas; and 2-18 WHEREAS, Mr. Blackburn also has served as director of the Red 2-19 River Authority, the Greater Grayson Forum, and MHMR of Texoma 2-20 Region; of all his accomplishments, however, he is perhaps most 2-21 proud of the role he played in the completion of the Grayson County 2-22 Justice Center; and 2-23 WHEREAS, In recognition of his tireless work in behalf of his 2-24 community, this admirable civic leader has garnered numerous awards 2-25 from the Grayson County Commissioners Court, the Texoma Regional 2-26 Planning Commission, and other local organizations; and 2-27 WHEREAS, Despite his many civic and professional activities, 3-1 Mr. Blackburn is above all else a devoted family man who enjoys a 3-2 happy and rewarding marriage with his wife, Irma, and who cherishes 3-3 his daughter, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren; and 3-4 WHEREAS, This remarkable gentleman is known to all for his 3-5 warmth, generosity, and delightful sense of humor, and his presence 3-6 will be deeply missed by the residents of Sherman when he moves to 3-7 Louisville, Kentucky, to be near his daughter; and 3-8 WHEREAS, An inspiration to all Texans, his many 3-9 accomplishments are indeed worthy of our highest praise and 3-10 recognition; now, therefore, be it 3-11 RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas 3-12 hereby honor Ben Blackburn for his many exemplary contributions to 3-13 his community and state; and, be it further 3-14 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-15 prepared for Mr. Blackburn as an expression of high regard by the 3-16 Legislature of the State of Texas.