By Driver                                              H.R. No. 684

         75R11005 BNL-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The people of the Dallas area lost a valued citizen

 1-2     and a good friend with the death of Earl Luna of Garland on August

 1-3     15, 1996, and the members of the Texas House of Representatives

 1-4     join in mourning his passing; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, A native of Caddo Mills, Mr. Luna received his early

 1-6     education in Hunt County, and he had the unique experience of being

 1-7     the only student in his class when he was in the ninth grade; he

 1-8     went on to attend East Texas State University and The University of

 1-9     Texas Law School, earning his law degree in 1949; and

1-10           WHEREAS, In June of that year, Mr. Luna embarked on a long

1-11     and distinguished legal career that would bring him great acclaim;

1-12     widely regarded as an expert in the challenging field of

1-13     constitutional law, he argued cases throughout all levels of the

1-14     state and federal judiciary, including the United States Supreme

1-15     Court; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Despite the demands of his career, this respected

1-17     gentleman still found time to devote to his community, and he drew

1-18     on his formidable professional expertise to benefit the local

1-19     public education system; a member of the Garland Independent School

1-20     District board of trustees for 11 years, he served eight terms as

1-21     president, and he later represented the district in a wide variety

1-22     of legal and administrative matters; and

1-23           WHEREAS, A staunch advocate of civil rights and equality for

1-24     all, this remarkable individual cast the deciding vote that made

 2-1     the Garland school system one of the first racially integrated

 2-2     districts in the area in 1963, and he played an instrumental role

 2-3     in the success of the district's school choice plan, the first of

 2-4     its kind in the nation; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, In 1985, the district recognized him for his many

 2-6     years of service by naming an elementary school in his honor, and

 2-7     this well-deserved tribute was an apt reflection of the esteem in

 2-8     which Mr. Luna was held; he was also an original director and

 2-9     former president of Memorial Hospital of Garland, now Baylor

2-10     Medical Center at Garland, and for his service in that capacity he

2-11     received the prestigious Distinguished Health Service Award from

2-12     the Dallas/Fort Worth Hospital Council in 1980; and

2-13           WHEREAS, Earl Luna made innumerable outstanding contributions

2-14     to his community and to the State of Texas and his legacy of good

2-15     works will ensure that his generous spirit will not be forgotten;

2-16     now, therefore, be it

2-17           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-18     Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Earl Luna and extend

2-19     sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his beloved wife,

2-20     Mary D. Luna; to his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Robert

2-21     E. Luna; to his daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Frank

2-22     Groseclose; to his grandchildren, Robert Huntley Luna, Eleanor E.

2-23     Luna, Brannan and Stacy Smoot, and Stephanie Jacobs; and to all the

2-24     relatives and friends of this eminent Texan; and, be it further

2-25               RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-26     prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas

2-27     House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of

 3-1     Earl Luna.