H.R. No. 606
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The oldest business in the State of Texas, the
1-2 Imperial Sugar Company, is commemorating its sesquicentennial this
1-3 year, and the Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor this
1-4 remarkable enterprise for its many outstanding contributions to the
1-5 state during the past 150 years; and
1-6 WHEREAS, Founded in 1843, just seven years after the Republic
1-7 of Texas won its independence and two years before Texas became the
1-8 28th state, the Imperial Sugar Company was born of the pioneer
1-9 spirit on a small plantation owned by Samuel May Williams, a Texian
1-10 who provided financial support in the war against Mexico and who
1-11 became secretary to Stephen F. Austin; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams planted sugar cane on his plantation in
1-13 1840 and three years later purchased a commercial raw sugar
1-14 grinding mill to process the cane on-site; a decade later, the mill
1-15 and plantation were sold to B. F. Terry and W. J. Kyle, who
1-16 renamed the location Sugar Land, acquired more land from adjoining
1-17 plantations, and helped make the company one of the largest sugar
1-18 producers in the state; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Following the Civil War, the Sugar Land plantation
1-20 and mill was bought by Col. Edward H. Cunningham and Col.
1-21 Littleberry Ellis, who by 1890 had invested nearly $1 million to
1-22 build one of the South's finest sugar refinery complexes; the
1-23 business changed hands yet again in 1907, when the Kempner family
1-24 of Galveston and W. T. Eldridge of Eagle Lake purchased the mill,
2-1 refinery, and all the land in the Sugar Land area; and
2-2 WHEREAS, Borrowing the name and insignia of the magnificent
2-3 Imperial Hotel in New York City for their company, the new owners
2-4 worked diligently to attract more families to Sugar Land and to
2-5 develop a reputation for quality and excellence that continues to
2-6 this day; in only two decades, the community around the mill and
2-7 refinery had grown to include beautiful new homes, churches,
2-8 graveled streets, sidewalks, modern medical and educational
2-9 facilities, and company-provided electricity, gas, and water
2-10 service; and
2-11 WHEREAS, The Imperial Sugar Company responded to changes in
2-12 the post-World War II marketplace by launching an ambitious program
2-13 of modernization and expansion in 1948, under the able guidance of
2-14 president I. H. Kempner, Jr.; after his death in 1953, his two
2-15 sons, I. H. Kempner III and James C. Kempner, joined the company
2-16 and have led the Imperial Sugar Company to national and worldwide
2-17 prominence; and
2-18 WHEREAS, This Texas firm acquired the Holly Sugar Company in
2-19 1988 and became the Imperial Holly Corporation, a public entity
2-20 listed on the American Stock Exchange; although today the second
2-21 largest publicly traded sugar company in the United States, it has
2-22 remained and continued to operate on the same site where it started
2-23 in 1843; and
2-24 WHEREAS, The Imperial Sugar Company remains firmly dedicated
2-25 to the local community of Sugar Land and to the principles of
2-26 integrity, fairness, and quality, and its many outstanding
2-27 achievements are indeed worthy of special legislative recognition;
3-1 now, therefore, be it
3-2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
3-3 Legislature hereby congratulate the officers and employees of the
3-4 Imperial Sugar Company on the occasion of the company's 150th
3-5 anniversary and commend them on their outstanding contributions to
3-6 the community of Sugar Land, to the county of Fort Bend, and to the
3-7 State of Texas; and, be it further
3-8 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-9 prepared for the officers and employees of the Imperial Sugar
3-10 Company as an expression of highest esteem by the Texas House of
3-11 Representatives.
3-12 Company as an expression of highest esteem by the Texas House of
3-13 Representatives.
3-14 Tallas
3-15 H.R. No. 606
3-16 _______________________________
3-17 Speaker of the House
3-18 I certify that H.R. No. 606 was adopted by the House on April
3-19 30, 1993, by a non-record vote.
3-20 _______________________________
3-21 Chief Clerk of the House