By: Wentworth S.C.R. No. 68 1-1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-2 WHEREAS, Marshall L. Turner, Jr., of the United States Census 1-3 Bureau, known and revered by redistricting staffs throughout the 1-4 United States for his invaluable work in providing the data needed 1-5 for the decennial redrawing of congressional and state legislative 1-6 districts, is retiring on September 30, 2001; and 1-7 WHEREAS, In the 1970s, when states sought to devise 1-8 redistricting plans that would meet the "one person, one vote" 1-9 requirement and satisfy the provisions of the Voting Rights Act, it 1-10 was Mr. Turner who developed a program to provide the small-area 1-11 census population totals that would be crucial to the task; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Over the years, as the Census Bureau Redistricting 1-13 Data Program that he created has continued to evolve, Mr. Turner 1-14 has involved the states in that process by including legislative 1-15 leaders and staff in bureau meetings and by seeking input at 1-16 innumerable gatherings of the National Conference of State 1-17 Legislatures; and 1-18 WHEREAS, Mr. Turner's accessibility and helpfulness in 1-19 guiding state redistricting staff through the maze of census 1-20 programs is legendary; even when a major snowstorm shuts down the 1-21 capital, he fields questions at his home by e-mail and phone, and 1-22 he will readily catch a plane to come to a state's assistance; and 1-23 WHEREAS, A native of Gastonia, North Carolina, and a graduate 1-24 of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned 2-1 a bachelor's degree with honors and completed a master's degree in 2-2 demography and computer science, this quintessential public servant 2-3 joined the Census Bureau as a math statistician in 1964; in the 2-4 late 1960s he developed longitudinal studies of previous census 2-5 records to measure changes in poverty, and in the early 1970s he 2-6 served as the liaison between the bureau and state and local 2-7 governments for the Federal General Revenue Sharing project; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Since 1970 Mr. Turner has ably directed the bureau's 2-9 dissemination of computerized census products; he served as 2-10 assistant chief of the Decennial Census Division for the 1980 count 2-11 and as chief of the Data User Services Division for the 1990 2-12 census; he currently presides as chief over the Census 2000 2-13 Redistricting Data Office; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Even though he never saw adjusted census figures 2-15 replace an actual count during his tenure with the bureau, his 2-16 numerous friends are confident that Mr. Turner's personal 2-17 adjustment to life after retirement will be a resounding success; 2-18 certainly he will have more time to spend with his wife, Nancy, 2-19 son, Mark, and daughter and son-in-law, Lynn and Tony, and to enjoy 2-20 the beach and the beauty of the Tar Heel State; and 2-21 WHEREAS, Appreciated for his friendliness and infinite 2-22 patience, as well as for his exhaustive knowledge, Marshall Turner 2-23 has truly been one of the best friends the states have, and it is 2-24 indeed a great pleasure and privilege to recognize him at this 2-25 time; now, therefore, be it 2-26 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-1 hereby honor Marshall L. Turner, Jr., on the occasion of his 3-2 retirement from the United States Census Bureau and express to him 3-3 its profound gratitude for his exemplary service to this and every 3-4 other state; and, be it further 3-5 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-6 prepared for Mr. Turner as an expression of high regard by the 3-7 Texas House of Representatives and Senate.