1-1                                      1

 1-2                              SENATE RESOLUTION

 1-3           WHEREAS, On the fifth day of June, 1921, in Huntsville, the

 1-4     county seat of Walker County, Texas, there was born to the marriage

 1-5     of James Walter and Ethel Moore Morris, their fourth child, whom

 1-6     they named James Walter Morris, Jr.; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, During an eventful and adventurous youth in

 1-8     Huntsville and Walker County, James participated enthusiastically

 1-9     and successfully in animal husbandry, athletics, Boy Scouting,

1-10     hunting, and other wholesome endeavors; he gained valuable

1-11     experience while working at the J. Robert King Drug Store and

1-12     for other local merchants; one of his more memorable experiences

1-13     was an encounter with Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker; and

1-14           WHEREAS, Young James matriculated at Huntsville High School,

1-15     where, increasing in height but not yet in girth, he participated

1-16     in athletics as a member of the basketball and football teams

1-17     before graduating in 1938; to this day, he is a proud "Huntsville

1-18     Hornet"; and

1-19           WHEREAS, After leaving his native Huntsville, James worked

1-20     in the shipyards in Houston, where he contributed to the defense

1-21     of his country in the construction of "Liberty Ships"; and

1-22           WHEREAS, He enlisted in the United States Navy and served

1-23     with honor aboard the U.S.S. Rockford in the South Pacific

 2-1     theatre of naval operations during World War II; James remained

 2-2     active in the United States Naval Reserve and was recalled to

 2-3     active service aboard the U.S.S. Montrose during the Korean

 2-4     Conflict; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, Released from active duty with the United States

 2-6     Navy in 1945, James moved to Austin, where his mother and his

 2-7     sister, Margaret Aline Morris, resided and was hired as a file

 2-8     clerk with the Texas Department of Public Safety; and

 2-9           WHEREAS, A valuable and respected DPS employee for the

2-10     next 37 years, James was entrusted with increasingly responsible

2-11     assignments in its various divisions and sections, including

2-12     Identification, Driver's License, License and Weight, General

2-13     Stores, Fleet Operations, Personnel and Staff Services, and

2-14     finally Administration; he retired as Chief of Administration

2-15     of the Department of Public Safety on June 30, 1983; and today

2-16     holds a special Texas Ranger's commission from that agency; and

2-17           WHEREAS, Following his arrival in Austin, his sister

2-18     introduced him to Agnes Jeanne McLean; the two young women had

2-19     been members of the staff of the Honorable Coke Stevenson when

2-20     he was Governor of Texas; the couple became engaged and were

2-21     married at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Austin in April, 1947; and

2-22           WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Morris moved to Alice in

2-23     Jim Wells County, where James was stationed as a Driver's

2-24     License Examiner for the Department of Public Safety; they

2-25     returned to Austin in 1949 to make their permanent home and

 3-1     to raise their three sons, James Walter III, born in 1948,

 3-2     John Richard, born in 1953, and Joseph William, born in 1961;

 3-3     and

 3-4           WHEREAS, A devoted family man, James Morris is the proud

 3-5     grandfather of three wonderful grandchildren to wit,

 3-6     Christopher John Morris of Fort Worth, born in 1992, and

 3-7     Joy Michelle Morris, born in 1980, and Carrie Melissa Morris,

 3-8     born in 1983, both of Oklahoma City; and

 3-9           WHEREAS, James Morris has distinguished himself as a faithful

3-10     member and active deacon of the First Baptist Church of Austin;

3-11     he is a loyal member and the current president of the

3-12     Judge Zollie Steakley Bible Class; an active patron and lifelong

3-13     advocate of the Boy Scouts of America, Mr. Morris was honored

3-14     with the Boy Scouts' prestigious Silver Beaver Award; he is also

3-15     active in the Texas Public Employees Association and the Texas

3-16     Retired Employees Association; and

3-17           WHEREAS, He has given freely of his time and abilities to

3-18     many benevolent, civic, educational, and charitable organizations

3-19     and activities, and is currently a longtime volunteer at Seton

3-20     Medical Center; and

3-21           WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Mr. Morris has ardently

3-22     contributed to the balance of nature in the State of Texas,

3-23     having harvested an abundance of game and fish from its fields,

3-24     lakes, and streams while also raising, from time to time, cattle,

3-25     chickens, ducks, dogs, quail, cats, and pigeons; and

 4-1           WHEREAS, Since his retirement from the DPS, he has continued

 4-2     to enjoy the abundant outdoor opportunities of this state, more

 4-3     frequently from the back porch of his family's second home at

 4-4     Lake Lyndon B. Johnson; and

 4-5           WHEREAS, Commencing with the Special Session of the

 4-6     69th Legislature in 1985 and continuing thereafter through the

 4-7     Regular Session of the 74th Legislature in 1995, James Morris

 4-8     served with industry, dignity, and distinction as the Doorkeeper

 4-9     of the Texas Senate; and

4-10           WHEREAS, During his tenure, Mr. Morris was called upon,

4-11     from time to time, to offer the Senate's morning invocations,

4-12     consistently favoring the Senate and its members and staff with

4-13     heartfelt, meaningful, and memorable messages of faith and

4-14     inspiration, a sampling of which was published by

4-15     Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby, Jr., following the

4-16     71st Legislative Session; and

4-17           WHEREAS, By his conduct throughout the course of all

4-18     aspects of his life, James Morris has consistently exemplified

4-19     to his family, friends, and fellow Texans what it means to be

4-20     an American and a Texan, son, husband, father, and grandfather,

4-21     and a Christian gentleman; and

4-22           WHEREAS, The Texas Senate has chosen the occasion of his

4-23     retirement as Doorkeeper of the Senate to publicly recognize

4-24     James Walter Morris, Jr., and gratefully acknowledge his lifetime

4-25     of service to the State of Texas; now, therefore, be it

 5-1           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

 5-2     75th Legislature, hereby express its deepest gratitude to

 5-3     James Walter Morris, Jr., for his unfailing loyalty and

 5-4     exemplary service to the people of the Lone Star State; and,

 5-5     be it further

 5-6           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

 5-7     Mr. Morris as a token of the affection and high regard of the

 5-8     members of the Texas Senate.

 5-9                                                    Truan

5-10           Armbrister           Galloway            Ogden

5-11           Barrientos           Harris              Patterson

5-12           Bivins               Haywood             Ratliff

5-13           Brown                Lindsay             Shapiro

5-14           Cain                 Lucio               Shapleigh

5-15           Carona               Luna                Sibley

5-16           Duncan               Madla               Wentworth

5-17           Ellis                Moncrief            West

5-18           Fraser               Nelson              Whitmire

5-19           Gallegos             Nixon               Zaffirini

5-20                      Bullock, President of the Senate

5-21                                 ______________________________________

5-22                                        President of the Senate

5-23                                      I hereby certify that the above

5-24                                 Resolution was adopted by the Senate

5-25                                 on February 10, 1997.

5-26                                 ______________________________________

5-27                                        Secretary of the Senate

5-28                                 ______________________________________

5-29                                           Dean of the Senate