By:  Denton                                            H.R. No. 661
       73R8859 PFG-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Wilton A. Lanning, Jr., is being honored by the
    1-2  James H. Lockwood Lodge No. 1343, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons,
    1-3  with a Community Builders Award for his distinguished service to
    1-4  the Waco community, and this special recognition is indeed
    1-5  well-deserved; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The highest award conferred by the Grand Lodge of
    1-7  Texas on nonmasons in Texas, the Community Builders Award is an
    1-8  especially notable honor for its recipients; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, For more than three decades, Mr. Lanning has
   1-10  provided exceptional leadership to the citizens of Waco through a
   1-11  wide range of significant civic and professional roles, including
   1-12  accomplished tenures as president of the Waco Downtown Rotary Club,
   1-13  the Waco Chamber of Commerce, the Young Men's Christian Association
   1-14  board, and the Waco Business League; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, A successful businessman, Mr. Lanning is the
   1-16  president and chief executive officer of Waco's oldest commercial
   1-17  firm, Tom Padget, Inc., which was established in 1867, and he also
   1-18  has distinguished himself through his tenure as chairman of the
   1-19  Waco Convention and Tourism Board and as a trustee and secretary of
   1-20  the board of the Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, In addition to his extensive community service work
   1-22  and the considerable demands of running a business, Mr. Lanning
   1-23  devoted years of work and planning to bring to completion his
   1-24  longtime dream of restoring the local Dr Pepper plant, which was
    2-1  damaged in a tornado in 1953, and coverting it into a Dr Pepper
    2-2  Museum; his dream was realized on May 11, 1991, when the museum was
    2-3  formally opened 38 years after the disastrous tornado struck; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, A man of tremendous vision and generosity, Wilton
    2-5  Lanning's extraordinary dedication to his community has made a
    2-6  positive difference in the lives of many citizens of Waco; a true
    2-7  pillar of his community, he is indeed deserving of special praise
    2-8  and legislative recognition on the occasion of his most recent
    2-9  achievement; now, therefore, be it
   2-10        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   2-11  Legislature hereby congratulate Wilton A. Lanning, Jr., on his
   2-12  receipt of the Community Builders Award and commend him for his
   2-13  many outstanding contributions to his community; and, be it further
   2-14        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-15  prepared for Mr. Lanning as an expression of high regard by the
   2-16  Texas House of Representatives.