By: Ratliff S.C.R. No. 72 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, It was with great sorrow that the Texas Legislature 1-2 noted the passing of prominent Kilgore civic leader Charles Devall 1-3 on January 28, 1995, at the age of 86; and 1-4 WHEREAS, This distinguished gentleman married the former Lyde 1-5 Willifork in 1939, and they enjoyed a happy home life until her 1-6 death in 1987; and 1-7 WHEREAS, An extremely patriotic man, he served his country 1-8 with valor in the United States Navy and attained the rank of 1-9 lieutenant commander; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Known for over 50 years for a wide range of 1-11 activities, he was a persistent and "unofficial" cheerleader for 1-12 the City of Kilgore; he conceived the idea of making Kilgore 1-13 America's Number One Small City and worked diligently to make this 1-14 concept a reality; and 1-15 WHEREAS, Charles Devall was the publisher of the Kilgore News 1-16 Herald from 1935 to 1979; during that time he held several titles, 1-17 including Kilgore's Man of the Year; his various activities made 1-18 his office an unofficial branch office of the Kilgore Chamber of 1-19 Commerce; and 1-20 WHEREAS, He helped organize the Kilgore Improvement and 1-21 Beautification Association and helped bring about the establishment 1-22 of Kilgore Industrial Foundation, Kilgore Ceramics Corporation, and 1-23 Kilgore Community Hotel-Motel Company; he was also a former 2-1 president of the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce, Kilgore Lions Club, 2-2 American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Devall were active boosters of the 2-4 Kilgore Rangerettes and the Kilgore Ranger Band and followed them 2-5 to performances at football games and bowl appearances; and 2-6 WHEREAS, He received some of his newspaper experience as a 2-7 child working for his father in Mount Vernon, and the experience 2-8 enabled him to work his way through The University of Texas earning 2-9 a journalism degree; and 2-10 WHEREAS, He was called home in 1931 because of an illness 2-11 that his father had, and within four years he was mayor of his 2-12 hometown and a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee; 2-13 and 2-14 WHEREAS, During the next few years, he acquired newspapers at 2-15 Daingerfield and Hughes Springs and established the weekly Kilgore 2-16 Herald; in 1940 he and Mrs. Devall bought the Kilgore Daily News 2-17 and consolidated the two papers as the Kilgore News Herald; and 2-18 WHEREAS, His paper received numerous awards during the next 2-19 four decades, including winning the Texas Press Association 2-20 Sweepstakes for best all-around daily in cities under 15,000 nine 2-21 times and the same top award seven times for North and East Texas 2-22 Press; the paper also won the East Texas Chamber of Commerce 2-23 Community Service Award six times and the Texas School Bell Award 2-24 two times from the Texas State Teachers Association; and 2-25 WHEREAS, This outstanding gentleman won two awards for 3-1 editorials from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, the 3-2 Holloway Meritorious Service Award from the North and East Texas 3-3 Press Association, and the Texas Daily Newspaper Association's 3-4 Taggart Award for Texas Newspaper Leader of the Year; and 3-5 WHEREAS, The manifold achievements and contributions that 3-6 Charles Devall made to Kilgore greatly assisted the development and 3-7 progress of his city and state; and 3-8 WHEREAS, His wise counsel and good judgment will be greatly 3-9 missed and remembered with gratitude by those who lived and worked 3-10 with him; now, therefore, be it 3-11 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-12 hereby extend sincere condolences to his family: his sister, Ruth 3-13 Heywood; his nephew, Charles Lewis; his nieces, Blanche Hamilton 3-14 and Marian Knight; and, be it further 3-15 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for his 3-16 family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas 3-17 Legislature, and that when the legislature adjourns this day, it do 3-18 so in memory of Charles K. Devall.