R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, For almost three decades Bob Lewis has traveled the
1-2 length and breadth of the Lone Star State as Tumbleweed Smith,
1-3 recording the stories and tall tales of which his fellow Texans are
1-4 so fond and sharing those yarns and accounts through a syndicated
1-5 radio program, "The Sound of Texas"; his work toward the
1-6 preservation of Texas culture indeed merits special legislative
1-7 recognition; and
1-8 WHEREAS, Born in Waco and brought up in Fort Worth,
1-9 Mr. Lewis began a career in advertising and radio in 1960, after
1-10 earning a bachelor's degree in English from Baylor University and a
1-11 master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri; and
1-12 WHEREAS, But his heart was not in the day-to-day demands of
1-13 radio sales and shares, however important, for what Mr. Lewis
1-14 really enjoyed was talking and listening to people across the
1-15 state; and
1-16 WHEREAS, In 1969, he and his wife, Susan, began Orange House
1-17 Productions, syndicating to Texas radio stations the narratives,
1-18 jokes, and fish stories Texans told and Tumbleweed Smith recorded
1-19 during his travels; some 40 radio stations now carry the
1-20 "Tumbleweed Smith" show, from East to West Texas, and close to 25
1-21 newspapers carry his weekly column; and
1-22 WHEREAS, The popularity of his show and its material have
1-23 made Tumbleweed Smith a popular speaker for conventions, banquets,
1-24 and civic engagements, and spurred the sales of his books and
2-1 tapes; he has been presented with numerous honors and awards,
2-2 including the Governor's Tourism Award for the State of Texas, the
2-3 West Texas Chamber of Commerce Cultural Achievement Award, and the
2-4 "Best Program" award from Western Public Radio (San Francisco); and
2-5 WHEREAS, The success of Tumbleweed Smith and his Lone Star
2-6 stories has taken him to some remarkable places and to some even
2-7 more remarkable people; he estimates he has driven somewhere
2-8 between a million to a million-and-a-half miles in his three
2-9 decades of collecting, and the 7,500 Texas stories he has recorded
2-10 are stored on enough audiotape to wrap around the borders of Texas
2-11 twice; and
2-12 WHEREAS, His collection constitutes the nation's largest
2-13 privately owned oral history archive and is a priceless resource of
2-14 Texas folk tales, lore, and wisdom, and it is fitting to join with
2-15 his appreciative readers and listeners in recognizing his lasting
2-16 contributions to this state; now, therefore, be it
2-17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-18 Legislature hereby welcome Tumbleweed Smith to the State Capitol
2-19 and commend him for his immensely valuable and entertaining work;
2-20 and, be it further
2-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-22 prepared for Tumbleweed Smith as an expression of highest regard by
2-23 the Texas House of Representatives.
Hunter
Counts
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. 788 was adopted by the House on May
5, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House