By Alexander                                       H.R. No. 9

      75R4587 PAN-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, January 27, 1997, marks the 50th birthday of our

 1-2     distinguished colleague, the Honorable Robert Junell, and this

 1-3     significant millstone (excuse me, I meant to say milestone)

 1-4     provides a fitting occasion to review a few of his many

 1-5     achievements; and

 1-6           WHEREAS,  A native of the City of the Sun, "Old El Paso"

 1-7     moved to Lubbock at an early age, and it was while living there

 1-8     that his devoted parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Junell, first began to

 1-9     realize  that their beloved son "Rob" might one day be the perfect

1-10     candidate for military school; and

1-11           WHEREAS, A product of the Lubbock public school system,

1-12     Mr. Junell took the New Mexico Military Institute by storm and went

1-13     on to collect additional diplomas from Texas Tech University, the

1-14     University of Arkansas, and the Texas Tech University School of Law

1-15     before finally settling for the card life had dealt him, winding up

1-16     a lawyer in the thriving metropolis of San Angelo; and

1-17           WHEREAS, Along the way, Mr. Junell did manage to pump a

1-18     little excitement into his life; his colleagues in the house are

1-19     seldom surprised to learn how adept this former college football

1-20     player was at handling a pigskin, having seen him pick up the ball

1-21     and run with it every chance he gets as a member of this chamber;

1-22     and

1-23           WHEREAS, Though widely known as a team player, it is perhaps

1-24     less widely known that Mr. Junell was also a talented rodeo team

 2-1     roper who, together with his partner, Vic Choate, always knew how

 2-2     to cause a sensation and twist a few heads when they entered the

 2-3     rodeo arena; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, Though he claims to have given up roping steers in

 2-5     favor of playing polo, some of his closest friends have privately

 2-6     questioned whether he was forced to give up the rodeo circuit when

 2-7     his head swelled to a size that could no longer accommodate a

 2-8     cowboy hat, based on the glowing accolades he has received as a

 2-9     member of this chamber; and

2-10           WHEREAS, In the last session alone, this respected gentleman

2-11     was honored as the Legislator of the Year by the Texas Municipal

2-12     League, touted as one of the "Top Ten Legislators" by Texas Monthly

2-13     magazine, and named one of the Texas House Crime Fighters of the

2-14     Year by the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas; in

2-15     addition, he was named "Best of the Best in the Texas Legislature"

2-16     by the Dallas Morning News and was also recognized for his

2-17     outstanding achievements by the Texas Civil Justice League, the

2-18     Texas Tech University School of Law, the Children's Trust Fund of

2-19     Texas Council, and the Texas Arts Council; and

2-20           WHEREAS, Now in his fifth term as a member of the house,

2-21     Mr. Junell is also held in high esteem by those inside the

2-22     legislative community, and he presently shares his considerable

2-23     insight and expertise with his fellow legislators as chairman of

2-24     the House Appropriations Committee and as a valued member of the

2-25     Select House Committee on Revenue and Public Education Funding and

2-26     the House General Investigating Committee; and

2-27           WHEREAS, A dedicated family man, Mr. Junell is supported in

 3-1     all his endeavors by his devoted wife and best friend, Beverly, and

 3-2     the Junells are the proud parents of three children, Ryan, Keith

 3-3     Elizabeth, and Clay; and

 3-4           WHEREAS, Though Mr. Junell has hit the big "Five-0," he

 3-5     doesn't appear to have slowed down one bit, and we hope to wring

 3-6     plenty more sessions out of this good guy before we let him ride

 3-7     off into the sunset; now, therefore, be it

 3-8           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 3-9     Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Robert Junell on the

3-10     unavoidable occasion of his 50th birthday and extend warmest best

3-11     wishes to him for continued happiness in the golden years of his

3-12     life; and, be it further

3-13           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

3-14     prepared for Mr. Junell as a token of commiseration from his many

3-15     friends and colleagues in the Texas House of Representatives.