By Alvarado                                          H.C.R. No. 318

         75R17159 SAJ-D                           

                             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.