By: Place H.R. No. 746 73R11291 KMP-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, For more than six decades, Dawson Cooper has 1-2 tirelessly devoted himself to making Coryell County a better place 1-3 in which to live and work, distinguishing himself as an active 1-4 member of numerous civic organizations and a dynamic force in local 1-5 government and community politics; and 1-6 WHEREAS, The son of Newt Cooper and Belle Kelly Cooper of 1-7 Kentucky, Mr. Cooper was born in Gatesville, Texas, on June 18, 1-8 1909, and has remained a loyal citizen of this small community ever 1-9 since; known to all as an adventurous, hardworking, and intelligent 1-10 young man, he was salutatorian of his high school class and 1-11 subsequently attended business school on scholarship; and 1-12 WHEREAS, This prominent Gatesville resident embarked on his 1-13 successful career in banking and finance on December 6, 1926, when 1-14 he left business school to work for the First National Bank of 1-15 Gatesville as a stenographer and bookkeeper; demonstrating 1-16 perseverance and dedication, Mr. Cooper ultimately became bank 1-17 president, a position he held for 25 years before retiring in 1975, 1-18 and today continues to serve as a director of that fine 1-19 institution; and 1-20 WHEREAS, During his senior year of high school, Mr. Cooper 1-21 met his future wife, the lovely Frances Voss, and after a whirlwind 1-22 courtship, the couple exchanged marriage vows on September 5, 1937, 1-23 at a small home ceremony held for family and close friends; and 1-24 WHEREAS, Enjoying an exceptionally happy and rewarding 2-1 marriage, the Coopers devoted themselves to one another for 54 2-2 years, and during this time they were a source of constant delight 2-3 and inspiration to the friends and family with whom they shared the 2-4 richness of their life together until Mrs. Cooper's death in 1991; 2-5 and 2-6 WHEREAS, Like many other young couples, the Coopers deferred 2-7 their plans for the future during World War II, when Mr. Cooper 2-8 answered his nation's call to arms and joined the armed forces on 2-9 May 15, 1942; he served with honor and distinction as an 2-10 administrative assistant with the U.S. Army Air Corps for nearly 2-11 four years, receiving valuable training in finance and personnel 2-12 management at Washington and Lee University in Virginia and Officer 2-13 Candidate School in Florida; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Respected by all those who had the pleasure of 2-15 serving by his side, this patriotic American achieved the rank of 2-16 first lieutenant and obtained a rating of "superior" by his base 2-17 commanding officer for exceptional administration of the war bonds 2-18 and ration stamps programs; following his medical discharge from 2-19 the corps on September 21, 1945, Mr. Cooper returned to his 2-20 hometown, where he continued in his successful banking career and 2-21 became involved in many civic organizations; and 2-22 WHEREAS, This preeminent civic leader has served as president 2-23 of the Gatesville Chamber of Commerce and also has given his time 2-24 and expertise to local youth organizations such as the Future 2-25 Farmers of America; involved with the Boy Scouts of America for 2-26 more than 50 years, Mr. Cooper has served as scoutmaster and 2-27 treasurer for the Heart of Texas Council, which awarded him one of 3-1 its highest honors, the Silver Beaver Medal, for his work on behalf 3-2 of local scouting; and 3-3 WHEREAS, Determined to improve the quality of life in his 3-4 community and beyond, Mr. Cooper helped ensure the success of a 3-5 much-needed rural electrification program in Hamilton County; he 3-6 also served on his local water and soil conservation committee and 3-7 helped win approval for important local conservation projects and 3-8 programs; and 3-9 WHEREAS, During the 1970s this distinguished Texan was named 3-10 spokesman of the Coryell County organization Our Land Our Lives, a 3-11 community activist group formed to protect 60,000 acres of 3-12 privately owned land from annexation by nearby Fort Hood; with 3-13 Mr. Cooper's able guidance, this extraordinary group traveled to 3-14 Washington, D.C., persuaded Senator John Tower to hold a 3-15 congressional hearing in Gatesville, and won their struggle to keep 3-16 their land, farms, and homes; and 3-17 WHEREAS, In addition to his many contributions to Gatesville 3-18 city government and the Coryell County Museum, he is a member, 3-19 former pastor, and former secretary of his local Masonic lodge and 3-20 was awarded the 50 Year Pin for his long and distinguished record 3-21 of service to the organization; moreover, Mr. Cooper served the 3-22 Lone Star State with pride and integrity for nearly 25 years as a 3-23 volunteer reporting parole officer with the Texas Board of Pardons 3-24 and Paroles; and 3-25 WHEREAS, This remarkable gentleman is known to all for his 3-26 warmth, generosity, and delightful sense of humor, and his many 3-27 outstanding achievements are indeed worthy of special legislative 4-1 recognition and praise; now, therefore, be it 4-2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 4-3 Legislature hereby commend Dawson Cooper for his many exemplary 4-4 contributions to Coryell County; and, be it further 4-5 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 4-6 prepared for Mr. Cooper as an expression of high esteem by the 4-7 Texas House of Representatives.