H.R. No. 213 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Ronnie L. Cox, the owner of Cox Jewelers in 1-2 Sweetwater, will mark a momentous occasion this year when he joins 1-3 his employees and customers in celebrating the centennial of this 1-4 distinguished family-owned business; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Founded by John R. Cox, Sr., in 1895, this jewelry 1-6 store has since been passed on to two generations of the Cox 1-7 family; Mr. Cox settled in Sweetwater in 1887 and served as an 1-8 apprentice to another jeweler before opening his own store eight 1-9 years later; and 1-10 WHEREAS, His son, John R. Cox, Jr., later took over the 1-11 management of the business, and the two men encountered only one 1-12 serious disagreement over the store's operation; the elder Mr. Cox 1-13 was reluctant to stock wristwatches, which he considered a passing 1-14 fad, while his son believed that such timepieces would soon 1-15 supplant the pocket watch; and 1-16 WHEREAS, The younger Mr. Cox prevailed, and by the time he 1-17 turned the store over to his son, Ronnie L. Cox, the store had 1-18 changed with the times and had become a permanent fixture in the 1-19 town; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Established in its current location in 1936, the 1-21 store has served several generations of Sweetwater residents and 1-22 has successfully withstood growing competition from department 1-23 stores, discount stores, and mass merchandisers; and 1-24 WHEREAS, A graduate of Rice University and a certified 2-1 gemologist, Ronnie Cox has demonstrated that his education and 2-2 business acumen will enable him to ably guide his grandfather's 2-3 store into its next century of operation; and 2-4 WHEREAS, For 100 years, Cox Jewelers has stood as a tribute 2-5 to the entrepreneurial spirit that has made our country strong, and 2-6 the Cox family's uncompromising dedication to professional service, 2-7 quality merchandise, and fair business practices is truly deserving 2-8 of special praise and recognition; now, therefore, be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-10 Legislature hereby congratulate Ronnie L. Cox on the centennial of 2-11 Cox Jewelers and extend to him warmest best wishes for many more 2-12 years of continued success; and, be it further 2-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-14 prepared for Mr. Cox as an expression of high regard by the Texas 2-15 House of Representatives.