HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The passing of the Honorable Ralph Webster
1-2 Yarborough on January 27, 1996, at the age of 92, brought a great
1-3 loss to the family and many friends of this distinguished native
1-4 Texan and former member of the United States Senate; and
1-5 WHEREAS, He was born in 1903 in Chandler and attended Sam
1-6 Houston State College and the United States Military Academy at
1-7 West Point, New York; after teaching school for three years, he
1-8 enrolled in The University of Texas School of Law, graduating from
1-9 that institution with honors in 1927; and
1-10 WHEREAS, A specialist in land law, he went on to become an
1-11 assistant attorney general and, in a landmark case, helped to
1-12 secure for the state's permanent school fund the interest money on
1-13 nearly 4,000,000 acres of land; he was a respected jurist as well
1-14 and served as a district judge in Austin before becoming a
1-15 presiding judge over 30 counties in Central Texas; and
1-16 WHEREAS, Like many of his generation, Senator Yarborough
1-17 proudly served his country during World War II as a member of the
1-18 United States Army, and he rose through the ranks of the military
1-19 to become a lieutenant colonel; after the war ended, he was named
1-20 military governor of Japan's Honshu Province, and his valor and
1-21 meritorious service throughout his military career earned him both
1-22 the Bronze Star and the Battle Star; and
1-23 WHEREAS, In addition to his remarkable contributions in these
1-24 areas, Senator Yarborough will be well remembered for his
2-1 outstanding career in the United States Senate; he first won
2-2 election to that office in April of 1957 and went on to serve his
2-3 state and nation with the utmost integrity and distinction for 13
2-4 years; and
2-5 WHEREAS, Senator Yarborough was inspired by the goals
2-6 advocated in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal of the
2-7 1930's and 1940's; he truly envisioned himself as the people's
2-8 servant and was dedicated to restoring fairness, justice, and
2-9 economic opportunity for all Americans; indeed, shortly before the
2-10 November 22, 1963, assassination in Dallas, President John
2-11 Fitzgerald Kennedy said of the prolific federal legislator: "Ralph
2-12 Yarborough speaks for Texas in the United States Senate, and he
2-13 also speaks for our nation, and he speaks for progress for our
2-14 people"; and
2-15 WHEREAS, A staunch advocate of equal rights, he earned
2-16 further distinction as the only Southern senator to vote for the
2-17 Civil Rights Act of 1964; he chaired the Labor and Public Welfare
2-18 Committee and sponsored or actively supported nearly every piece of
2-19 legislation in President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs of
2-20 the 1960's; and
2-21 WHEREAS, Senator Yarborough's experience as a teacher
2-22 fostered his abiding commitment to public education; he was
2-23 instrumental in the creation of the country's first Bilingual
2-24 Education Act, and as the sponsor of a Cold War GI Bill, he helped
2-25 to extend education benefits to 5,000,000 veterans; and
2-26 WHEREAS, This illustrious statesman further enhanced the
2-27 quality of life of his fellow citizens through his work on health
3-1 care and social security legislation, and his involvement extended
3-2 to the area of natural resources as well, for he helped to preserve
3-3 the beauty of the South Texas coast by authoring legislation
3-4 establishing the Padre Island National Seashore and many other
3-5 national parks and preserves in the state; and
3-6 WHEREAS, Firmly believing that every human being is best
3-7 viewed as an asset, rather than as a liability, this renowned
3-8 lawmaker's philosophy was quaintly summarized by his
3-9 frequently-expressed hope that ". . . the jam be kept on the lower
3-10 shelf so the little people can reach it . . ."; and
3-11 WHEREAS, Ralph Yarborough further contributed to the
3-12 political culture of our country by inspiring those who have
3-13 followed in his footsteps, and he has left behind a legacy of
3-14 outstanding achievements that will endure in the hearts and minds
3-15 of future generations for many years to come; now, therefore, be it
3-16 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas,
3-17 Regular Session, 1997, hereby honor the memory of former United
3-18 States Senator Ralph Webster Yarborough and extend sincere sympathy
3-19 to the members of his family: to his beloved wife, Opal Warren
3-20 Yarborough; to his brother, Donald V. Yarborough; to his sisters,
3-21 Nell Yarborough Mallet and Margaret Yarborough Pickett; to his
3-22 three grandchildren; and to the many other friends and relatives of
3-23 this eminent public official; and, be it further
3-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-25 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
3-26 House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
3-27 memory of the Honorable Ralph Webster Yarborough.
Alvarado
Laney Gutierrez Oliveira
Alexander Haggerty Olivo
Allen Hamric Palmer
Alvarado Hartnett Patterson
Averitt Hawley Pickett
Bailey Heflin Pitts
Berlanga Hernandez Place
Bonnen Hightower Price
Bosse Hilbert Puente
Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck
Burnam Hill Ramsay
Carter Hinojosa Rangel
Chavez Hirschi Raymond
Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar
Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas
Clark Holzheauser Rhodes
Coleman Horn Rodriguez
Cook Howard Roman
Corte Hunter Sadler
Counts Hupp Seaman
Crabb Isett Serna
Craddick Jackson Shields
Cuellar Janek Siebert
Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith
Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee
Davila Junell Solis
Davis Kamel Solomons
Delisi Keel Staples
Denny Keffer Stiles
Driver King Swinford
Dukes Krusee Talton
Dunnam Kubiak Telford
Dutton Kuempel Thompson
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres
Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman
Elkins Luna Turner of Harris
Farrar McCall Uher
Finnell McClendon Van de Putte
Flores McReynolds Walker
Gallego Madden West
Galloway Marchant Williams
Garcia Maxey Williamson
Giddings Merritt Wilson
Glaze Moffat Wise
Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth
Goolsby Mowery Wolens
Gray Naishtat Woolley
Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough
Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 318 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 31, 1997.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 318 was adopted by the Senate on
May 31, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _______________________
Date
_______________________
Governor