H.R. No. 873
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, On May 13, 1995, Samuel Eugene Davis will be
    1-2  retiring from his duties as a professor of music at Sul Ross State
    1-3  University in Alpine, drawing to a close a distinguished academic
    1-4  career that has spanned more than three decades; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Born in Dillon, Montana, Dr. Davis was graduated
    1-6  with honors from the University of Montana in Missoula and entered
    1-7  the United States Air Force after completing his undergraduate
    1-8  education; during his military service, he was stationed at Scott
    1-9  Air Force Base, where he distinguished himself as a special
   1-10  services officer and as the assistant band director of the 3310th
   1-11  Air Force Band; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, A talented musician, he enrolled in the Manhattan
   1-13  School of Music after his discharge from the military and earned
   1-14  his master's degree in applied music there in 1958; he worked as a
   1-15  professional musician in the city for a year before returning to
   1-16  the University of Montana to begin his rewarding career as a music
   1-17  professor, which over the course of the next several years took him
   1-18  to teaching posts throughout the northwestern United States and
   1-19  Canada; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Returning to his hometown of Dillon in 1965, he
   1-21  joined the faculty of Western Montana College as an assistant
   1-22  professor of music and four years later was selected to chair the
   1-23  music department, lending able guidance to his peers in the
   1-24  department in that demanding role; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, In 1975, Dr. Davis accepted a challenging new post
    2-2  in Texas with Sul Ross State University as chairman of the fine
    2-3  arts department and a music professor, in which capacities he
    2-4  earned the admiration of students and colleagues alike for his
    2-5  exceptional teaching and administrative abilities; within two
    2-6  years, he was named chairman of the music department and dean of
    2-7  the division of fine arts, posts at which he performed admirably
    2-8  for close to a decade; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, In recent years, this gifted instructor has focused
   2-10  his talents in the classroom environment, and he has been popular
   2-11  among the student body for his dedication to teaching and his
   2-12  mastery of all aspects of music performance and theory; and
   2-13        WHEREAS, During his outstanding career, Samuel Davis has
   2-14  profoundly influenced the artistic development of countless
   2-15  students at Sul Ross State University while helping to shape the
   2-16  destiny of this fine institution; in light of his extraordinary
   2-17  accomplishments, he is indeed deserving of special praise and
   2-18  acknowledgement on the occasion of his retirement; now, therefore,
   2-19  be it
   2-20        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-21  Legislature hereby commend Samuel Eugene Davis for his exemplary
   2-22  service to Sul Ross State University and extend  sincere best
   2-23  wishes to him for continued happiness in the years to come; and, be
   2-24  it further
   2-25        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-26  prepared for Dr. Davis as an expression of highest regard by the
   2-27  Texas House of Representatives.