By Hunter H.R. No. 61 75R4730 JHS-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, On January 30, 1997, Dian Graves Owen will be 1-2 inducted into the 1996-1997 Texas Women's Hall of Fame, and this 1-3 accomplishment is truly deserving of special legislative praise; 1-4 and 1-5 WHEREAS, The Governor's Commission for Women established the 1-6 Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1984 as a means of recognizing 1-7 exemplary women and their contributions to the Lone Star State; 1-8 inductees are chosen for their commitment to a variety of fields, 1-9 including the arts, business, civics, education, government, 1-10 health, and physical fitness; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Mrs. Owen is being acknowledged for her outstanding 1-12 achievements in the business world, and she will join nine other 1-13 notable Texas women chosen by a distinguished statewide panel of 1-14 judges from a field of more than 200 worthy applicants; and 1-15 WHEREAS, This exceptional woman is the cofounder and current 1-16 chairman of the board of Owen Healthcare, Inc., the premier 1-17 hospital pharmacy management company in the country; following the 1-18 untimely death of her husband, Mrs. Owen recommitted herself to the 1-19 company, employing her substantial business savvy and marketing 1-20 instincts to refashion this once-struggling enterprise into a 1-21 multimillion dollar empire; and 1-22 WHEREAS, A leader in the Abilene community, Mrs. Owen is a 1-23 pioneer for women in the business community; she is the first woman 1-24 to chair the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and she enjoyed a major 2-1 triumph when she was appointed as the Texas Department of 2-2 Commerce's first chairperson; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Mrs. Owen has received a host of other accolades and 2-4 awards for her business and philanthropic efforts, including being 2-5 named Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1996 by the Abilene 2-6 Chamber of Commerce; she has earned multiple mentions in Working 2-7 Woman and Savvy magazines and is considered one of the top female 2-8 business owners in the country; and 2-9 WHEREAS, Dian Graves Owen has distinguished herself among her 2-10 peers through her visionary efforts, and her dedication to her 2-11 community and her generosity of spirit are indeed an inspiration to 2-12 all Texans; now, therefore, be it 2-13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-14 Legislature hereby congratulate Dian Graves Owen on her induction 2-15 into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame and extend to her sincere best 2-16 wishes for continued success and happiness in the years to come; 2-17 and, be it further 2-18 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-19 prepared for Mrs. Owen as an expression of high regard by the Texas 2-20 House of Representatives.