H.C.R. No. 45
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The State of Texas has lost a distinguished public
    1-2  servant with the passing of John C. White on January 20, 1995, at
    1-3  the age of 70; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, This native Texan was born November 26, 1924, on a
    1-5  cotton and grain tenant farm near the community of Newport and was
    1-6  reared on a family farm in Wichita County that his father bought
    1-7  during the Roosevelt administration with a Farm Security
    1-8  Administration loan; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, A graduate of Texas Tech University, Mr. White
   1-10  taught agriculture at Midwestern University in Wichita Falls and
   1-11  coordinated its network of vocational schools, helping to organize
   1-12  one of the nation's first artificial breeding programs for area
   1-13  dairy farmers; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, In 1950, at the age of 25, he sucessfully challenged
   1-15  a 20-year incumbent agriculture commissioner, becoming the youngest
   1-16  man ever elected to statewide office in Texas, and he was reelected
   1-17  to the post of agriculture commissioner 12 times; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, During his lengthy tenure, he achieved the first
   1-19  cooperative effort with Mexican officials on cotton insect pest
   1-20  controls, created a consumer protection and services division, and
   1-21  established an international Texas agricultural products marketing
   1-22  promotion program as well as special programs for the environment;
   1-23  and
   1-24        WHEREAS, A mainstay of the Democratic Party throughout his 26
    2-1  years in statewide office, he was named deputy U.S. secretary of
    2-2  agriculture in 1977 and the following year was selected by
    2-3  President Jimmy Carter to lead the Democratic National Committee,
    2-4  in which capacity he served with the utmost integrity for the next
    2-5  four years; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, In recent years, Mr. White continued to work in
    2-7  Washington and remained an active and highly regarded leader in the
    2-8  Democratic Party, helping to raise money and advise many
    2-9  candidates, especially those from Texas; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, In all aspects of his life, John White adhered to
   2-11  the highest standards of excellence, accomplishment, and commitment
   2-12  to others; though his presence will be deeply missed by all who
   2-13  were privileged to know him, his memory will live on in the legacy
   2-14  of his many achievements; now, therefore, be it
   2-15        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-16  hereby pay tribute to the life of John C. White and extend deepest
   2-17  sympathy to the members of his family:  to his wife, to his two
   2-18  sons, to his three stepchildren, and to the many other friends and
   2-19  relatives of this esteemed statesman; and, be it further
   2-20        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-21  prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
   2-22  House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
   2-23  memory of John C. White.