1-1     By:  Sibley                                           S.C.R. No. 85

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed May 7, 1997; May 7, 1997, read first

 1-3     time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 15, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably, as amended, by the following vote:  Yeas 6,

 1-5     Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                               By:  Sibley

 1-7     Amend S.C.R. No. 85 in the first resolving clause on page 2, line

 1-8     10 by changing the name of the building from the Abner McCall

 1-9     Building to the Raleigh Hotel/Abner McCall Building.

1-10                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

1-11           WHEREAS, Among the great men of Texas who have left their

1-12     indelible mark on the state is the late Abner McCall, former

1-13     President and Chancellor of Baylor University; and

1-14           WHEREAS, Born on June 8, 1915, in Jack County, Abner

1-15     experienced sorrow while quite young when his father died, leaving

1-16     his mother to care for four small children; and

1-17           WHEREAS, Left almost literally an orphan when their mother's

1-18     health declined, Abner and his brothers and sister went to the Fort

1-19     Worth Masonic Home and School; understanding the value of an

1-20     education, Abner graduated from the school as valedictorian in

1-21     1933; and

1-22           WHEREAS, A superb student, he received a Masonic scholarship

1-23     to attend Baylor University, where he intended to become an

1-24     attorney; and

1-25           WHEREAS, Working his way through college and law school,

1-26     Abner McCall graduated at the top of his law school class; his

1-27     score on the bar exam was higher than that of any other examinee;

1-28     and

1-29           WHEREAS, In 1940, he married Frances Bortle, and they made a

1-30     warm and loving home for their four children:  Anne, Bette Gail,

1-31     Richard Vernon, and Kathleen; and

1-32           WHEREAS, In 1969, Frances predeceased him, and in 1970, he

1-33     married Mary W. Russell of Waco; and

1-34           WHEREAS, Appointed Dean of Baylor Law School in 1948, Abner

1-35     McCall was the youngest dean in the history of the law school; and

1-36           WHEREAS, Dean McCall was appointed by Governor Allan Shivers

1-37     to fill an interim position on the Texas Supreme Court in 1956; the

1-38     dean returned to the law school when the term was over; and

1-39           WHEREAS, An upright and moral man of great probity, he served

1-40     as Dean of Baylor Law School from 1948 through 1959; promoted to

1-41     Executive Vice President in 1959, he was named President of Baylor

1-42     University in 1961; and

1-43           WHEREAS, Blossoming under his leadership, Baylor University

1-44     increased its academic stature, capital assets, and national

1-45     reputation; the student enrollment increased to around 10,000, and

1-46     the size of the campus increased from about 40 acres to about 300

1-47     acres; and

1-48           WHEREAS, In 1970, President McCall hired Jack Patterson as

1-49     Athletic Director, and Grant Teaff was hired to become an

1-50     outstanding coach for Baylor; and

1-51           WHEREAS, President McCall began Baylor's development program

1-52     to enlarge the university's endowment, which has increased to over

1-53     $130 million; he served as Chancellor from 1981 until 1985; and

1-54           WHEREAS, Throughout his illustrious career, his service to

1-55     education has taken many different forms; he served on the Board of

1-56     Trustees for the Waco Independent School District and was on the

1-57     steering committee of the Waco Adopt A School; he served as Trustee

1-58     of the Masonic Home Independent School District; a list of his

1-59     honors and awards would fill several pages; and

1-60           WHEREAS, A man with strong religious convictions, Chancellor

1-61     McCall worked devotedly on behalf of the Southern Baptist

1-62     Convention and was an active member of First Baptist Church in

1-63     Waco, where he taught a Bible Study class and was a deacon; and

1-64           WHEREAS, Accorded the highest honors among his peers, he was

 2-1     appointed to the Texas Judicial Council by several different Texas

 2-2     governors, and his unequaled record of professional and personal

 2-3     contributions to his church, university, and state made him an

 2-4     exemplary citizen of Texas; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, Texans will remember Abner McCall for his leadership

 2-6     and achievements, and it is fitting that a state building be named

 2-7     in his honor; now, therefore, be it

 2-8           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-9     hereby direct that the Raleigh Building in Waco be named the Abner

2-10     McCall Building in honor of one of the state's most beloved leaders

2-11     and citizens; and, be it further

2-12           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

2-13     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the General

2-14     Services Commission.

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