By Wilson                                             H.R. No. 1378
         76R15423 BE-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes great pride
 1-2     in welcoming Lone Star native and chief executive officer of the
 1-3     Motion Picture Association of America Jack Valenti back to Texas,
 1-4     for this remarkable gentleman's long and varied career is indeed
 1-5     deserving of special legislative recognition; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Born in Houston, Mr. Valenti began work at 16 years
 1-7     of age as an office boy with Humble Oil Company; as a pilot in the
 1-8     Army Air Corps during World War II, Lieutenant Valenti flew 51
 1-9     combat missions as the pilot-commander of a B-25 attack bomber with
1-10     the 12th Air Force in Italy; and
1-11           WHEREAS, His bravery and ability were rewarded with a number
1-12     of honors and awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
1-13     Air Medal with four clusters, and the European Theater Ribbon with
1-14     four battle stars; after returning home, Mr. Valenti graduated from
1-15     the University of Houston and went on to earn a master of business
1-16     administration degree from Harvard University; and
1-17           WHEREAS, In 1952 he co-founded Weekley & Valenti, an
1-18     advertising and political consulting agency through which he would
1-19     meet Lyndon Baines Johnson; in charge of the press during the visit
1-20     of President Kennedy and the vice president to Dallas, he was named
1-21     a special assistant to President Johnson following the tragedy and
1-22     served in that capacity for the next three years; and
1-23           WHEREAS, Mr. Valenti resigned from his White House post in
1-24     1966 to lead the Motion Picture Association of America, and his
 2-1     admirable tenure there has been marked with great success and
 2-2     achievement even as the entertainment industry has been profoundly
 2-3     affected by advances in technology and a changing world landscape;
 2-4     and
 2-5           WHEREAS, Mr. Valenti is a prolific essayist and author who
 2-6     has written for a number of leading magazines and journals and has
 2-7     published four successful books as well; he has been awarded a star
 2-8     on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the prestigious French Legion
 2-9     d'Honneur; and
2-10           WHEREAS, He and his wife, Mary Margaret, have three children,
2-11     Courtenay, John, and Alexandra and live in Washington; though he
2-12     divides his time between home on the East Coast and business
2-13     obligations in Los Angeles, Mr. Valenti has achieved a  singularly
2-14     successful balance of the two, and it is a great pleasure to
2-15     welcome this accomplished native son back to Texas; now, therefore,
2-16     be it
2-17           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-18     Legislature hereby commend Jack Valenti on his extraordinary
2-19     contributions to the entertainment industry that have benefited
2-20     citizens the world over and extend to him best wishes for continued
2-21     success and happiness; and, be it further
2-22           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-23     prepared for Mr. Valenti as an expression of high regard by the
2-24     Texas House of Representatives.