H.R. No. 393 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes great pride 1-2 in honoring a distinguished former member of this chamber, Chris 1-3 Victor Semos, for his outstanding public service to the citizens of 1-4 Dallas; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Born and reared in Dallas, Mr. Semos attended school 1-6 in Highland Park and continued his education in Greece and 1-7 Switzerland before returning to Dallas, where he earned a degree in 1-8 business administration from Southern Methodist University in 1962; 1-9 and 1-10 WHEREAS, A talented businessman, he applied his considerable 1-11 skills to the management of his popular family-owned business, The 1-12 Torch Restaurant, which he helped to run for more than three 1-13 decades; during that time, he rose to prominence in the Dallas 1-14 community through his participation in local civic affairs, an 1-15 avocation that soon led to his election to the Texas House of 1-16 Representatives in 1966; and 1-17 WHEREAS, While a member of the house, Mr. Semos effectively 1-18 championed the concerns of his constituents as chair of the Dallas 1-19 Legislative Delegation, the Claims Committee, and the Business and 1-20 Industry Committee, and he sponsored the law that established the 1-21 Texas Sesquicentennial Commission; subsequently appointed chair of 1-22 the commission, he earned the title "Father of the 1-23 Sesquicentennial" for his exceptional efforts presiding over that 1-24 landmark celebration of Texas independence; and 2-1 WHEREAS, After his exemplary tenure in the state legislature, 2-2 Mr. Semos went on to serve three accomplished terms as a Dallas 2-3 County commissioner from 1982 to 1994, during which time he 2-4 represented his constituents in the southwestern section of the 2-5 county with the utmost integrity and dedication; and 2-6 WHEREAS, At present, this extraordinary gentleman continues 2-7 to dedicate his time to the greater community, holding a variety of 2-8 leadership positions with many prominent local institutions, 2-9 including the United Way, the Baylor College of Dentistry, the 2-10 National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Dallas Family 2-11 Hospital, the Dallas Historical Society, Northwood University, and 2-12 the Oak Cliff Lions Club, to name but a few; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Semos has been recognized on repeated occasions 2-14 for his vast contributions to the civic and cultural life of Dallas 2-15 with awards from such eminent organizations as Dallas Baptist 2-16 University, LULAC, the Oak Cliff Tribune, the North Central Texas 2-17 Council of Governments, the Texas Restaurant Association, the 2-18 Scottish Rite, the Dallas Assembly, and the Greek Orthodox Church; 2-19 and 2-20 WHEREAS, An expert on Greece and the Mediterranean, Mr. Semos 2-21 has shared his extensive knowledge of these regions as the host of 2-22 "A Touch of Old Athens," a popular radio program on KSKY radio, 2-23 that played for several years and has authored numerous articles on 2-24 the topics for the Dallas Morning News; the owner of a number of 2-25 priceless Greek antiquities, he has generously lent his collection 2-26 to the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio for public 2-27 display; and 3-1 WHEREAS, On the homefront, this devoted family man enjoys a 3-2 happy and rewarding marriage to his wife, the former Anastasia 3-3 Kontos, which has produced three daughters, Mary Katherine, 3-4 Victoria Evelyn, and Kristina Anastasia, all of whom are a source 3-5 of great pride and joy to their parents; and 3-6 WHEREAS, Truly a pillar of the community, Chris Victor Semos 3-7 has greatly benefitted the citizens of Dallas throughout his 3-8 extraordinary career and indeed merits our highest praise and 3-9 recognition for his many contributions; now, therefore, be it 3-10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 3-11 Legislature hereby commend Chris Victor Semos for his exemplary 3-12 service to the citizens of Dallas as a dedicated public servant, 3-13 businessman, and civic leader; and, be it further 3-14 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-15 prepared for Mr. Semos as an expression of highest regard by the 3-16 Texas House of Representatives.