By Rodriguez                                    H.C.R. No. 46

      75R4986 BNL-D                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Texans, and indeed all Americans, were deeply

 1-2     saddened by the passing of the Honorable Frank M. Tejeda, Jr., on

 1-3     January 30, 1997, at the age of 51, and the Texas Legislature joins

 1-4     the Tejeda family in bidding a reluctant farewell to this

 1-5     extraordinary public servant; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Born October 2, 1945, in San Antonio, Congressman

 1-7     Tejeda learned the value of education and hard work from an early

 1-8     age, helping to support his close-knit family by mowing yards,

 1-9     washing windows, and shining shoes; and

1-10           WHEREAS, At the age of 17, this patriotic Texan joined the

1-11     United States Marine Corps and gained rank quickly, first becoming

1-12     the youngest Marine corporal in the corps and later the youngest

1-13     staff sergeant; while serving in Vietnam in 1965, he led his squad

1-14     across 75 yards of open space in an attack against a Viet Cong

1-15     sniper station outside of Da Nang in an action that would earn him

1-16     a bronze star; and

1-17           WHEREAS, Wounded in action the following year, Congressman

1-18     Tejeda returned to the states and resumed his education, but his

1-19     commitment to the Marines continued through his service in its

1-20     reserve corps; he would later attend the Marine Reserve Officers

1-21     Candidate School at Camp Quantico, and while pursuing his studies

1-22     there, he broke all records, receiving a near perfect 98.08

1-23     combined evaluation score for academics, physical skills, and

1-24     leadership; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, Although he displayed little interest in academics

 2-2     during his high school years, his military service seemed to

 2-3     instill in him a newfound sense of purpose and discipline; he went

 2-4     on to earn a bachelor's degree in government from St. Mary's

 2-5     University, a law degree from the University of California at

 2-6     Berkeley, and a master's degree in public administration from the

 2-7     prestigious Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; and

 2-8           WHEREAS, First elected to the Texas Legislature in 1976, this

 2-9     distinguished gentleman served the people of South San Antonio for

2-10     five terms in the house of representatives and three terms in the

2-11     senate, authoring important legislation establishing the Crime

2-12     Victims Bill of Rights and the Texas Veterans Housing Assistance

2-13     Program, as well as creating several new courts in Bexar County; he

2-14     drew on his vast legal expertise to serve as chairman of the House

2-15     Committee on Judicial Affairs and as a member of the Senate

2-16     Committees on Jurisprudence and Criminal Justice, and his graduate

2-17     studies gave him valuable insight as a member and eventually

2-18     chairman of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations;

2-19     and

2-20           WHEREAS, His fierce dedication to the people of his district,

2-21     combined with his outstanding ability to get things done, won him

2-22     the respect and admiration of his constituents, and in 1992, he was

2-23     elected to the newly created 28th District seat in the United

2-24     States House of Representatives; he quickly established himself as

2-25     an intelligent and committed lawmaker, and he earned key

2-26     assignments to the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and National

2-27     Security committees; and

 3-1           WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Congressman Tejeda remained

 3-2     above all else a devoted father to his three children and an active

 3-3     member of his community, contributing his time to such worthwhile

 3-4     organizations as the Knights of Columbus, the Veterans of Foreign

 3-5     Wars, the American Legion, and the Southside Chamber of Commerce;

 3-6     he was recognized for his personal and public leadership with an

 3-7     Honorary Life Membership in the Texas Parent-Teacher Association,

 3-8     and he was the proud recipient of the Texas State Teachers

 3-9     Association Friends of Education Award and the San Antonio Jaycees

3-10     Distinguished Service Award; and

3-11           WHEREAS, Frank Tejeda dedicated much of his life to the

3-12     service of his country and to the State of Texas, and his many

3-13     contributions will not be forgotten; a man of unique spirit and

3-14     character, he has left a remarkable legacy of good works by which

3-15     to remember him, and it is indeed appropriate that he be honored at

3-16     this time; now, therefore, be it

3-17           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

3-18     hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Frank M. Tejeda,

3-19     Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to

3-20     his children, Marissa Tejeda, Sonya Tejeda, and Frank Tejeda III;

3-21     to his mother, Lillie Tejeda; to his sister, Mary Alice Lara; to

3-22     his brothers, Juan Tejeda, Ernest Tejeda, and Richard Tejeda; and

3-23     to all the relatives, friends, colleagues, and many admirers of

3-24     this esteemed Texan; and, be it further

3-25           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

3-26     prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas

3-27     House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in

 4-1     memory of the Honorable Frank Tejeda.