By Junell H.R. No. 903 75R13711 JTR-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, One of the world's most beloved literary forms is 1-2 the uniquely American creation known as the western, and the Lone 1-3 Star State's towering stature in the popular imagination springs in 1-4 large part from the remarkable durability of the genre; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Author Elmer Kelton has distinguished himself as one 1-6 of the premier storytellers of our time, and his vivid tales of the 1-7 winning of the West are as typical of Texas tradition as cowboy 1-8 songs and cattle drives; and 1-9 WHEREAS, A native Texan, Mr. Kelton grew up watching his 1-10 father ply the cowboy's trade as a ranch foreman near Crane, and 1-11 his own life experience has imbued such works as The Time It Never 1-12 Rained, The Day the Cowboys Quit, and The Good Old Boys with a 1-13 deep understanding of the cattleman's culture; and 1-14 WHEREAS, His more than 30 novels have earned him a legion of 1-15 loyal readers, including his fellow writers, who regularly 1-16 recognize him with the highest accolades of their trade; the winner 1-17 of six Spur awards from the Western Writers of America, Mr. Kelton 1-18 has been honored with the Texas Institute of Letters' Barbara 1-19 McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award and the Western Literature Association's 1-20 Distinguished Achievement Award, and he is also a three-time 1-21 recipient of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame's Western Heritage 1-22 Award; and 1-23 WHEREAS, Mr. Kelton's preeminence as the undisputed master of 1-24 the form was secured in 1996 when the Western Writers of America 2-1 selected him as the Best Western Writer of All Time, placing him 2-2 ahead of such legendary literary figures as Zane Grey, Louis 2-3 L'Amour, A. B. Guthrie, and Larry McMurtry; and 2-4 WHEREAS, A talented working journalist as well, Mr. Kelton 2-5 has worked as an agricultural writer and editor for the San Angelo 2-6 Standard-Times, Sheep & Goat Raiser, and Livestock Weekly, from 2-7 which he retired in 1990; in leaving his day job, Mr. Kelton has 2-8 freed up more of his time for his fiction writing and his 2-9 close-knit family; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Elmer Kelton has fired the imaginations and touched 2-11 the hearts of readers around the globe with his finely crafted 2-12 evocations of Texas life through the years, and even as he works to 2-13 capture a vanishing way of life on the printed page, he himself has 2-14 become an integral aspect of the Texan culture he so winningly 2-15 celebrates; now, therefore, be it 2-16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-17 Legislature hereby recognize May 28, 1997, as Elmer Kelton Day and 2-18 extend to Mr. Kelton sincere best wishes for continued success and 2-19 happiness in the future; and, be it further 2-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-21 prepared for Mr. Kelton as an expression of high regard by the 2-22 Texas House of Representatives.