By Leedom S.C.R. No. 27
74R3499 CCK-D
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson Rusk contributed significantly to
1-2 the history of this state as a leader in the war for Texas
1-3 independence, a member of Congress and chief justice of the Supreme
1-4 Court of the Republic of Texas, an important voice for statehood,
1-5 and a member of the United States Senate for 11 years; and
1-6 WHEREAS, He was born on December 5, 1803, in the Pendleton
1-7 District of western South Carolina near the modern site of Clemson
1-8 University, the son of an Irish immigrant and stonemason who built
1-9 the historic Old Stone Presbyterian Church not far from the
1-10 school's present campus; and
1-11 WHEREAS, His mother was descended from an early pioneer
1-12 family and nurtured his education, which was fostered also by his
1-13 parents' landlord, John C. Calhoun, the renowned South Carolina
1-14 senator and vice president of the United States, who encouraged the
1-15 young Rusk to pursue the study of law; and
1-16 WHEREAS, Following admission to the bar, he moved to
1-17 Clarksville, Georgia, in 1825 and there met and married Mary F.
1-18 Cleveland, his lifelong love and devoted companion, whom he
1-19 addressed affectionately throughout their years together as
1-20 "Polly"; and
1-21 WHEREAS, A successful attorney and businessman in an area
1-22 that became a gold rush region, Rusk invested in a bogus mining
1-23 venture whose organizer absconded to Texas, bringing Rusk financial
1-24 ruin and prompting him to track the swindler, an effort that
2-1 resulted in his arrival in Nacogdoches in 1834 and his initial
2-2 experience in an attractive newfound land; and
2-3 WHEREAS, In Nacogdoches, where he obtained residency approval
2-4 from the Mexican government, Rusk made the acquaintance of Sam
2-5 Houston and attended political meetings where the discussion
2-6 focused on grievances against the Santa Anna government and the
2-7 alternatives of peace or war; and
2-8 WHEREAS, Reticent initially in taking a stand, he organized a
2-9 military company following the outbreak of skirmishes and saw
2-10 combat near San Antonio, then became an aide-de-camp to Stephen F.
2-11 Austin who was temporarily in command of the Texas army; and
2-12 WHEREAS, Before the Texans captured the city, Rusk was sent
2-13 back to East Texas to recruit reinforcements and acquire munitions
2-14 and supplies and, during that lull in the fighting, was reunited
2-15 with his wife and family, who traveled overland from Georgia to
2-16 join him in Nacogdoches; and
2-17 WHEREAS, Elected under the provisional government to the
2-18 convention that met in March 1836 in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Rusk
2-19 signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and was named to a
2-20 cabinet position as secretary of war under President David G.
2-21 Burnet; and
2-22 WHEREAS, Dispatched by President Burnet to assess the
2-23 disturbing retreat by Sam Houston after the fall of the Alamo and
2-24 the massacre at Goliad, the secretary followed the Texas army to
2-25 its ultimate victory at San Jacinto, playing an important role en
2-26 route by asserting the powers of his office to direct the army
2-27 toward the field where the decisive battle would be fought; and
3-1 WHEREAS, Following the achievement of independence, Rusk
3-2 served a term in the Second Congress of the Republic of Texas, held
3-3 intermittent military positions, spent 18 months as chief justice
3-4 of the supreme court, and assumed a law practice in partnership
3-5 with James Pinckney Henderson, who later became the first governor
3-6 of the State of Texas; and
3-7 WHEREAS, Rusk was influential in the decision to seek
3-8 annexation and statehood, serving as president of the annexation
3-9 convention in 1845, and when Texas entered the United States he
3-10 became, along with Sam Houston, one of Texas' first two members of
3-11 the United States Senate, a position he held until his death on
3-12 July 29, 1857; and
3-13 WHEREAS, Mentioned as a potential presidential candidate
3-14 during the life of the republic and again while serving in
3-15 Washington, he discouraged such speculation and denied all
3-16 presidential aspirations, yet earned the lasting esteem of his
3-17 colleagues for his skills at deliberation, persuasion, and
3-18 compromise; and
3-19 WHEREAS, Texans will remember Thomas Jefferson Rusk for his
3-20 great statesmanship and his achievements in shaping the history of
3-21 this state, and it is fitting that a state building in the Capitol
3-22 vicinity be named in his honor so that he may take his rightful
3-23 place alongside other legendary Texas leaders who enjoy like
3-24 distinction; now, therefore, be it
3-25 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-26 hereby direct that the present State Treasury Building, located at
3-27 200 East 10th Street, be named the Thomas Jefferson Rusk State
4-1 Office Building in honor of one of the state's most illustrious
4-2 forefathers; and, be it further
4-3 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
4-4 copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General
4-5 Services Commission.