R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Honorable Doyle Willis has been selected to
1-2 receive the first Texas Veteran of the Year award by the Texas
1-3 House of Representatives on the recommendation of the House
1-4 Veterans and Military Affairs Coalition, and he is most deserving
1-5 of this achievement for his many years of service in behalf of our
1-6 state's veterans; and
1-7 WHEREAS, A longtime member of both chambers of the Texas
1-8 Legislature, Senator Willis is well known throughout the Lone Star
1-9 State as a champion of Texas veterans, and he is an ideal selection
1-10 as the inaugural recipient of this unique award; he was awarded the
1-11 first Southwest Veterans Medal of Honor from the editorial board of
1-12 Southwest Life magazine, and he was named the Tarrant County
1-13 Veteran of the Year in 1998; and
1-14 WHEREAS, A former president of the Tarrant County Veterans
1-15 Council and the Tarrant County Reserve Officers Association, he is
1-16 a former VFW state commander and former Legion Post 21 commander
1-17 and has served as president of the Reserve Officers Association's
1-18 12th Congressional District; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Senator Willis is a distinguished veteran of World
1-20 War II, having served in the South Pacific theater as an Army Air
1-21 Forces intelligence officer, and his patriotic service to his
1-22 country earned him the Bronze Star and four Battle Stars; following
1-23 his military tenure, he was honorably discharged as a major, and
1-24 since that time he has established an unparalleled record of
2-1 staunch support for America's veterans; and
2-2 WHEREAS, This native Texan hails from Kaufman County and is a
2-3 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin; during the Great
2-4 Depression he demonstrated his characteristic drive and
2-5 determination when he supported himself while attending Georgetown
2-6 University Law School, where he earned a law degree that would
2-7 later serve him well as a member of the Texas Legislature; and
2-8 WHEREAS, His 50-year career as a legislator began in 1946,
2-9 when he was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives; he
2-10 served three sessions as a state representative before beginning a
2-11 highly productive 10-year term in the senate, and was reelected to
2-12 the house in 1968 and again in 1972 and proudly served until his
2-13 retirement a quarter-century later; and
2-14 WHEREAS, Senator Willis's succession of 12 uninterrupted
2-15 terms in the house of representatives, from the 63rd Regular
2-16 Session to the 74th Regular Session, earned him the title "Dean of
2-17 the House," while his tireless advocacy of veterans' affairs,
2-18 senior citizens' issues, and the protection of children earned him
2-19 other nicknames, including the "Father of Civil Service" and even
2-20 the "Mother Teresa of Texas Veterans"; and
2-21 WHEREAS, During his tenure as a legislator, he carried more
2-22 than 100 bills, many of which positively affected those veterans
2-23 living in the Lone Star State; one of his most noteworthy
2-24 legislative achievements came with the passage of a constitutional
2-25 amendment that authorized an additional $500 million in bond
2-26 authority for the Veterans' Land Board to make low-interest loans
2-27 available to qualified Texas veterans for the purchase of homes;
3-1 other significant legislative initiatives included the passage of
3-2 bills authorizing the issuance of specially designed license plates
3-3 for veterans and their surviving spouses and the establishment of
3-4 veterans county service offices in certain counties, to name but a
3-5 few; and
3-6 WHEREAS, Senator Willis served as chairman of the Legislative
3-7 Veterans Caucus in 1993 and 1995 and was the chairman of the Senate
3-8 Veteran and Military Affairs Committee and the chairman of the
3-9 House Select Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs during the
3-10 74th Legislative Session; he was presented the Texas Army National
3-11 Guard's Lone Star Distinguished Service Medal in 1996 for his
3-12 outstanding leadership and exemplary support of the Army Guard; and
3-13 WHEREAS, This civic-minded individual is a member of the
3-14 First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth and The Sons of the
3-15 Republic of Texas and is a Knight of the Order of San Jacinto and a
3-16 Scottish Rite Mason; he is a former member of the Fort Worth City
3-17 Council, and his community spirit continues to inspire those who
3-18 know him, earning him the respect and admiration of family,
3-19 friends, and neighbors; and
3-20 WHEREAS, A man of great integrity, honor, and compassion,
3-21 Doyle Willis has devoted his life to assisting his fellow veterans
3-22 and serving his fellow Texans, and it is indeed a privilege to pay
3-23 tribute to this noteworthy gentleman and to recognize him for his
3-24 many accomplishments at this time; now, therefore, be it
3-25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
3-26 Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Doyle Willis on his
3-27 receipt of the first Texas Veteran of the Year award and commend
4-1 him for his extraordinary support of veterans' causes; and, be it
4-2 further
4-3 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-4 prepared for Senator Willis as an expression of highest regard by
4-5 the Texas House of Representatives.
Hunter
Laney Glaze Moreno of El Paso
Alexander Goodman Morrison
Allen Goolsby Mowery
Alvarado Gray Naishtat
Averitt Green Najera
Bailey Greenberg Nixon
Berman Grusendorf Noriega
Bonnen Gutierrez Oliveira
Bosse Haggerty Olivo
Brimer Hamric Palmer
Brown of Kaufman Hardcastle Pickett
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Pitts
Burnam Hawley Puente
Capelo Heflin Ramsay
Carter Hilbert Rangel
Chavez Hilderbran Reyna of Bexar
Chisum Hill Reyna of Dallas
Christian Hinojosa Ritter
Clark Hochberg Sadler
Coleman Hodge Salinas
Cook Homer Seaman
Corte Hope Shields
Counts Howard Siebert
Crabb Hunter Smith
Craddick Hupp Smithee
Crownover Isett Solis of Cameron
Cuellar Janek Solis of Bexar
Culberson Jones of Brazos Solomons
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Staples
Davis of Harris Jones of Dallas Swinford
Davis of Dallas Junell Talton
Delisi Keel Telford
Denny Keffer Thompson
Deshotel King of Parker Tillery
Driver King of Uvalde Truitt
Dukes Krusee Turner of Coleman
Dunnam Kuempel Turner of Harris
Dutton Lengefeld Uher
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Van de Putte
Eiland Longoria Walker
Elkins Luna West
Ellis McCall Williams
Farabee McClendon Wilson
Farrar McReynolds Wise
Flores Madden Wohlgemuth
Gallego Marchant Wolens
Garcia Maxey Woolley
George Merritt Yarbrough
Giddings Moreno of Harris Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 644 was adopted by the House on April
15, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House