By Hunter of Taylor                                    H.R. No. 359
       74R7845 SRD-F
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Austin has long enjoyed visits from foreign
    1-2  dignitaries, former presidents, and luminaries of the sports,
    1-3  music, and film industries, but few visits have generated as much
    1-4  excitement as has the impending appearance of Gregory Peck, who
    1-5  will grace the Capital City with his presence on March 12, 1995, as
    1-6  a highlight of this year's Performing Arts Series sponsored by The
    1-7  University of Texas at Austin; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, The recipient of the American Film Institute's
    1-9  prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989, Mr. Peck is the
   1-10  quintessential "movie star" to legions of fans the world over, and
   1-11  his monumental work has earned him such coveted honors as an
   1-12  Academy Award for his classic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill
   1-13  a Mockingbird, Lincoln Center's Lifetime Achievement Award, The
   1-14  Kennedy Center Honors, the Legion d'Honneur from the French
   1-15  Republic, and the New York Film Critics Award for "Best Actor"; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, A graduate of the University of California at
   1-17  Berkeley, Mr. Peck was a standout athlete in college who originally
   1-18  planned to become a doctor, but when an injury forced him to
   1-19  sideline his participation in sports, he turned to college
   1-20  theatricals and was met with so much enthusiasm that he left for
   1-21  Broadway immediately after his college graduation; and
   1-22        WHEREAS, His big break came when he was signed for the
   1-23  Broadway production of The Morning Star, a performance that led to
   1-24  other starring roles and eventually Hollywood for his first motion
    2-1  picture assignment, the lead in Days of Glory; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, By the age of 27, he had become a star with his
    2-3  second appearance on the screen in The Keys of the Kingdom and went
    2-4  on to garner further acclaim for his performances in some of
    2-5  Hollywood's finest cinematic contributions, including Twelve
    2-6  O'Clock High, The Gunfighter, Roman Holiday, and The Guns of
    2-7  Navarone; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, His monumental achievements as an actor have been
    2-9  rivaled by his unsurpassed contributions as a motion picture
   2-10  producer and executive, in which capacity he has brought to
   2-11  fruition such classic films as Pork Chop Hill, Cape Fear, The Big
   2-12  Country, The Guns of Navarone, Captain Newman, M.D., Behold a Pale
   2-13  Horse, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, and The Dove; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Over the course of his remarkable career, Mr. Peck
   2-15  also has distinguished himself through his outstanding
   2-16  contributions to the entertainment industry as the first chairman
   2-17  of the American Film Institute, as a director and former president
   2-18  of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and as a
   2-19  two-time presidential appointee to the National Council on the
   2-20  Arts; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, Through the years, many of Mr. Peck's fans have come
   2-22  to associate him with the likeable, honest men of high moral fiber
   2-23  he has portrayed so well; much like these fictional characters,
   2-24  Mr. Peck does indeed have a heart of gold and has used his fame to
   2-25  benefit others on countless occasions, including past service as
   2-26  the national chairman of the American Cancer Society and as the
   2-27  producer of the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Motion Picture and
    3-1  Television Relief Fund; and
    3-2        WHEREAS, With a winning combination of talent and compassion,
    3-3  Mr. Peck has earned such accolades as the Jean Hersholt
    3-4  Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
    3-5  Sciences and the nation's highest civilian decoration, the
    3-6  Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
    3-7        WHEREAS, At this time, it gives the members of the Texas
    3-8  House of Representatives great pleasure to recognize Gregory Peck
    3-9  for his remarkable contributions to this state and nation as an
   3-10  actor, producer, and humanitarian; now, therefore, be it
   3-11        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-12  Legislature hereby honor Gregory Peck and extend warmest best
   3-13  wishes to him for a memorable stay in the Lone Star State; and, be
   3-14  it further
   3-15        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-16  prepared for Mr. Peck as an expression of highest regard by the
   3-17  Texas House of Representatives.