By Kubiak                                             H.R. No. 1147
       74R14081 KMP-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, At the conclusion of his current term as a state
    1-2  representative, the dean of the Texas House of Representatives, the
    1-3  Honorable Doyle Willis, will complete an unprecedented 16th term as
    1-4  a member of this august body, securing his position as the second
    1-5  longest-serving member of either the Texas Legislature or the
    1-6  Congress of the Republic of Texas; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, This esteemed lawmaker embarked on his illustrious
    1-8  career in public service in 1947, when he entered this chamber for
    1-9  the first time as the state representative for Tarrant County; his
   1-10  brother, the late Honorable Philip L. Willis, also was a member of
   1-11  the 50th Legislature's freshman class, representing Kaufman County
   1-12  in the first of two terms; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Representative Doyle Willis immediately established
   1-14  himself as one of our state's finest legislators, serving three
   1-15  terms in the house before proceeding on to the senate; during his
   1-16  five-term tenure in that chamber, he was elected president pro
   1-17  tempore and served as both Governor for a Day and as chairman of
   1-18  the Senate Education Committee; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, This outstanding Texan departed from the Capitol to
   1-20  serve on the Fort Worth City Council, but before too long, he found
   1-21  himself back in the Texas House of Representatives by popular
   1-22  demand; he has remained a state representative since then, serving
   1-23  his constituents in Tarrant County with the unwavering dedication
   1-24  and unquestionable integrity that they have come to expect of him;
    2-1  and
    2-2        WHEREAS, A former chairman and vice chairman of several
    2-3  committees during his many years as a state legislator,
    2-4  Representative Willis is perhaps most proud of his accomplishments
    2-5  in behalf of the children of Texas; as the chairman of a special
    2-6  house select committee on child abuse, he played a key role in
    2-7  reshaping the Texas judicial system to make it more responsive to
    2-8  the needs of abused and neglected children; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, During his 41 years in the State Capitol, this
   2-10  respected lawmaker has served five terms as a senator and 16 terms
   2-11  as a representative, placing him first among all other legislators
   2-12  in number of years served in the Texas House of Representatives and
   2-13  second only to Senator A. M. Aikin, whose portrait now hangs in the
   2-14  senate chamber, in number of years served in the Texas Legislature;
   2-15  and
   2-16        WHEREAS, It is the custom of this state to adorn the walls of
   2-17  our magnificent Capitol with paintings depicting people and events
   2-18  that have helped to shape the future of Texas; one individual who
   2-19  is indeed worthy of this honor is Representative Doyle Willis, who
   2-20  has worked tirelessly to make the Lone Star State a significantly
   2-21  better place in which to live, work, and raise a family; now,
   2-22  therefore, be it
   2-23        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-24  Legislature hereby direct the House Administration Committee to
   2-25  hang a portrait of the Honorable Doyle Willis in a suitable
   2-26  location in the house chamber as a tribute to this distinguished
   2-27  Texan and the significant role he has played in the continued
    3-1  development and progress of our state.