By Villarreal                                        H.C.R. No. 280
         77R14139 MMS-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The death of the Honorable Carlos Cristian Cadena on
 1-2     January 11, 2001, at the age of 83, brought a great loss to his
 1-3     family and friends, but his indelible legacy will undoubtedly
 1-4     continue to contribute to the well-being of this state for years to
 1-5     come; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Born on October 11, 1917, Justice Cadena graduated
 1-7     summa cum laude from The University of Texas School of Law, where
 1-8     he was the student editor of the Texas Law Review, and then
 1-9     embarked on a highly distinguished professional career as a private
1-10     attorney; and
1-11           WHEREAS, In 1954, in the United States Supreme Court, he won
1-12     a landmark civil rights case challenging the arbitrary and
1-13     systematic exclusion of Mexican Americans from jury service; over
1-14     the course of his career, he also argued cases that helped to
1-15     strike down restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale of real
1-16     estate to Mexican Americans and to eliminate discrimination against
1-17     Mexican American children in Texas public schools; and
1-18           WHEREAS, His diverse background included working as a
1-19     professor of law at St. Mary's University and as the city attorney
1-20     for the City of San Antonio; and
1-21           WHEREAS, Appointed to the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals in
1-22     1965, Justice Cadena was named chief justice of the court in 1977;
1-23     he served admirably in this prestigious post until his retirement
1-24     in 1990 and thereafter continued to work as a retired judge and
 2-1     appellate lawyer; during his service on the bench he presided over
 2-2     numerous important cases and authored far-reaching opinions that
 2-3     defined and expanded the rights of Texas citizens; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, In addition to advancing the cause of civil rights
 2-5     through his work as an attorney and as a jurist, this notable Texan
 2-6     helped to found MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and
 2-7     Educational Fund, and served as its first national president; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Justice Cadena's enormous stature derived not only
 2-9     from his legal brilliance and his leading role in the Mexican
2-10     American civil rights movement, but also from his remarkable
2-11     personal courage and integrity; so absolutely grounded was he in
2-12     these virtues that, in 1986, he triggered an investigation of
2-13     judicial favoritism that led to the unprecedented public reprimand
2-14     of other jurists; and
2-15           WHEREAS, Immensely gifted and utterly fearless, Justice
2-16     Cadena was cherished as well for his kindness, humility, and ready
2-17     sense of humor; although he will be deeply missed, his bright
2-18     spirit and deep commitment to fairness and justice will continue to
2-19     live on in the hearts of all whose lives he so deeply touched; now,
2-20     therefore, be it
2-21           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-22     hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Carlos Cristian
2-23     Cadena and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
2-24     his wife, Gloria Villa Cadena; to his children, Mary Elizabeth
2-25     Galvan, Robert Galvan, Carmen Martin, Catherine Meaney, Rebecca
2-26     Galvan, Laura Galvan, Tracy Colborn, David Galvan, and Sara Katz;
2-27     to his 33 grandchildren; and to his many other relatives, friends,
 3-1     and colleagues; and, be it further
 3-2           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
 3-3     prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
 3-4     House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
 3-5     memory of Justice Carlos Cristian Cadena.