R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The only short-haul, low-fare, high-frequency,
 1-2     point-to-point carrier in America, Southwest Airlines has won the
 1-3     airline industry's coveted Triple Crown for Best On-Time Record,
 1-4     Best Baggage Handling, and Fewest Customer Complaints more than 30
 1-5     times in the past three decades, and the company shows no sign of
 1-6     being put out to pasture any time soon; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The brainchild of Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, the
 1-8     airline began operating on June 18, 1972, with just three jets
 1-9     flying passengers to Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio; today, the
1-10     company is the fourth-largest U.S. airline in terms of domestic
1-11     customers carried, with 346 jets flying to 57 cities across the
1-12     United States, ably serving even those misguided individuals who
1-13     elect to travel outside the Lone Star State for vacation or
1-14     business; and
1-15           WHEREAS, While some may believe Southwest's phenomenal
1-16     success is based on its spacious seating and fancy meals, airline
1-17     watchdogs rightly attribute its prosperity to the leadership of
1-18     Herb Kelleher, chairman, president, CEO, and top banana, as well as
1-19     the company's more than 30,000 employees, who are a rare breed unto
1-20     themselves; and
1-21           WHEREAS, From the airline's reservation clerks, to its
1-22     baggage handlers, to its flight attendants and pilots, all are
1-23     committed to providing their customers with the highest quality of
1-24     service possible, and they pursue their duties with a sense of
 2-1     warmth, friendliness,  pride, and company spirit unparalleled in
 2-2     corporate America; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Despite routinely encountering such occupational
 2-4     hazards as phobic flyers, last-minute gate runners, crying babies,
 2-5     overhead storage hogs, and airsick-bag huggers, Southwest employees
 2-6     manage to put all at ease with their charm, wit, sincerity, and
 2-7     hard work and can coax a smile from even the weariest of travelers
 2-8     with their unexpected flights of fancy; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, Repeatedly listed in FORTUNE magazine as one of the
2-10     most admired companies in the world and one of the best companies
2-11     to work for in America, Southwest Airlines is a Texas success
2-12     story, and it is a privilege to honor all those who have
2-13     contributed to its high-flying image and to welcome its employees
2-14     who are visiting on this day; now, therefore, be it
2-15           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-16     Legislature hereby recognize March 21, 2001, as Southwest Airlines
2-17     Day at the State Capitol and commend Herb Kelleher and the
2-18     employees of Southwest Airlines for routinely taking out their
2-19     happiness on the passengers they serve; and, be it further
2-20           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-21     prepared for the visiting delegation as an expression of high
2-22     regard and for Mr. Kelleher as a formal reminder that today's CEOs
2-23     don't even consider retirement until they have been head honcho for
2-24     at least 50 years.
                                                                     Goolsby
                                             _______________________________
                                                   Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.R. No. 578 was adopted by the House on March
         21, 2001, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House