H.R. No. 569
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, On April 18, 1995, the Texas House of
    1-2  Representatives will join with citizens across the state in paying
    1-3  tribute to a true Texas hero, John Henry Faulk; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, A noted Southern humorist and storyteller, Mr. Faulk
    1-5  is today best remembered as one of our nation's most passionate and
    1-6  articulate defenders of American civil liberties; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, During the early 1950s, this talented individual was
    1-8  a promising young radio and television star who delighted audiences
    1-9  with his insightful comic sketches depicting Texas and American
   1-10  life, and he quickly became as well known as his illustrious CBS
   1-11  contemporaries Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Mr. Faulk's stellar career in broadcasting was cut
   1-13  short in 1956, when a self-styled anticommunist organization called
   1-14  AWARE, Inc., accused him in its newsletter of harboring subversive
   1-15  communist sympathies; these unfounded allegations led to his
   1-16  dismissal by CBS in 1957 and to the prospect of being blacklisted
   1-17  by the entertainment and journalism industries; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Immediately taking action to save his career and the
   1-19  careers of other Americans from such tactics, Mr. Faulk filed a
   1-20  libel suit against the organization, alleging a conspiracy to
   1-21  defame his character and destroy his livelihood; the ensuing
   1-22  litigation, which lasted five years and cost him his broadcasting
   1-23  career, became one of the most memorable and important First
   1-24  Amendment cases of the 20th century; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The trial ended in 1962 with his vindication and a
    2-2  jury award of $3.5 million, at the time the largest libel award in
    2-3  United States history; although AWARE, Inc., declared bankruptcy
    2-4  and Mr. Faulk collected only a small fraction of the award, the
    2-5  successful suit nevertheless ended the practice of blacklisting;
    2-6  and
    2-7        WHEREAS, In 1963 Mr. Faulk wrote the best-selling book Fear
    2-8  on Trial detailing his lengthy legal battles, and in 1975 this book
    2-9  served as the basis for a two-hour television movie broadcast by
   2-10  CBS, the same network that had fired him 18 years earlier; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, This exceptional Texan devoted much of his later
   2-12  life to defending the First Amendment principle of free speech, and
   2-13  his wit and irrepressible good cheer made him a popular figure on
   2-14  stage, at political gatherings, and on talk shows; he also
   2-15  continued to produce stories, plays, and commentaries that
   2-16  established him as one of the nation's preeminent authors and
   2-17  social historians; and
   2-18        WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous awards, tributes, and
   2-19  accolades, Mr. Faulk was universally revered for both his
   2-20  unparalleled talent as a storyteller and for his indomitable
   2-21  courage in fighting to protect the rights and liberties guaranteed
   2-22  by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which he
   2-23  described as America's "jewel in our crown of liberty, written and
   2-24  nailed into the basic law of the land"; and
   2-25        WHEREAS, On April 18, 1995, the Center for American History
   2-26  at The University of Texas at Austin will hold the second biennial
   2-27  John Henry Faulk Conference on the First Amendment in honor of this
    3-1  truly remarkable gentleman, inviting legal scholars from around the
    3-2  nation to discuss civil liberties issues related to the Internet
    3-3  and other computer-based communications technologies; and
    3-4        WHEREAS, This important conference offers all Texans the
    3-5  opportunity to reflect on the contributions that John Henry Faulk
    3-6  made to preserving the American way of life; it also offers us the
    3-7  chance to look forward to the better future we will all enjoy
    3-8  thanks to the courage, conviction, and commitment he demonstrated
    3-9  throughout his life; now, therefore, be it
   3-10        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-11  Legislature hereby designate April 18, 1995, as John Henry Faulk
   3-12  Day in Texas in honor of one of our state's most distinguished
   3-13  heroes.