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
1-25 a bachelor's degree with honors and completed a master's degree in
2-1 demography and computer science, this quintessential public servant
2-2 joined the Census Bureau as a math statistician in 1964; in the
2-3 late 1960s he developed longitudinal studies of previous census
2-4 records to measure changes in poverty, and in the early 1970s he
2-5 served as the liaison between the bureau and state and local
2-6 governments for the Federal General Revenue Sharing project; and
2-7 WHEREAS, Since 1970 Mr. Turner has ably directed the bureau's
2-8 dissemination of computerized census products; he served as
2-9 assistant chief of the Decennial Census Division for the 1980 count
2-10 and as chief of the Data User Services Division for the 1990
2-11 census; he currently presides as chief over the Census 2000
2-12 Redistricting Data Office; and
2-13 WHEREAS, Even though he never saw adjusted census figures
2-14 replace an actual count during his tenure with the bureau, his
2-15 numerous friends are confident that Mr. Turner's personal
2-16 adjustment to life after retirement will be a resounding success;
2-17 certainly he will have more time to spend with his wife, Nancy,
2-18 son, Mark, and daughter and son-in-law, Lynn and Tony, and to enjoy
2-19 the beach and the beauty of the Tar Heel State; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Appreciated for his friendliness and infinite
2-21 patience, as well as for his exhaustive knowledge, Marshall Turner
2-22 has truly been one of the best friends the states have, and it is
2-23 indeed a great pleasure and privilege to recognize him at this
2-24 time; now, therefore, be it
2-25 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-26 hereby honor Marshall L. Turner, Jr., on the occasion of his
S.C.R. No. 68
3-1 retirement from the United States Census Bureau and express to him
3-2 its profound gratitude for his exemplary service to this and every
3-3 other state; and, be it further
3-4 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-5 prepared for Mr. Turner as an expression of high regard by the
3-6 Texas House of Representatives and Senate.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 68 was adopted by the Senate
on May 22, 2001.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 68 was adopted by the House
on May 28, 2001.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor