1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 828
 1-3                                  In Memory
 1-4                                     of
 1-5                    The Honorable Joseph John Salem, Sr.
 1-6           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the citizens
 1-7     of Corpus Christi in mourning the loss of Joseph John Salem, Sr.,
 1-8     who died Wednesday, April 25, 2001, at the age of 80; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, A lifetime resident of Corpus Christi, Joe Salem
1-10     was an outstanding citizen of our state and a well-known South Texas
1-11     philanthropist; he was also a businessman, a real estate developer,
1-12     and a politician; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Joe Salem's career was a tribute to the
1-14     entrepreneurial spirit of his father who was a grocer on
1-15     Corpus Christi's Leopard Street; as a child, Joe Salem sold
1-16     soda water for a nickel a half-gallon; as an adult, he was the
1-17     proprietor of a successful jewelry business, a representative
1-18     in the Texas Legislature, and a highly respected civic leader; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Joe Salem served his country during World War II
1-20     as a pilot and flight instructor in the Army Air Corps; he then
1-21     went into the jewelry business, eventually opening a store in the
1-22     mall and one on Alameda Street; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mr. Salem
 2-2     served for eight years in the Texas House of Representatives,
 2-3     where he earned a reputation as a fearless advocate for
 2-4     consumers and working men and women, and supported legislation
 2-5     that helped pave the way for a four-year university in the
 2-6     City of Corpus Christi; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, Well known for his hard work and many
 2-8     accomplishments, Mr. Salem co-authored legislation to assist
 2-9     families of servicemen killed or missing in action and a bill
2-10     that continued the veterans land program, which would have
2-11     expired in 1973; he also drafted a bill that allowed citizens
2-12     to enjoy area beaches free of charge and one that adopted a new
2-13     method of determining firemen's retirement contributions; and
2-14           WHEREAS, One of the most dramatic episodes of his political
2-15     career was his journey to Paris to hand deliver a resolution
2-16     condemning North Vietnam's treatment of American prisoners of war;
2-17     after making his way past a number of armed guards, he won a meeting
2-18     with a Vietnamese negotiator and returned home to pass a tape of the
2-19     meeting on to the Nixon administration; and
2-20           WHEREAS, Mr. Salem was appointed by President John F. Kennedy
2-21     to the Commission of Employment of the Handicapped and by
2-22     President Lyndon B. Johnson to the Commission of Employment of the
2-23     Older Worker; and
2-24           WHEREAS, Joe Salem was best known for his many humanitarian
2-25     endeavors and his prized leadership in the Corpus Christi community;
2-26     for the past 57 years, Joe Salem sponsored the legendary Joe Salem
 3-1     Thanksgiving Dinner for needy families and individuals; the event
 3-2     was held annually at the Boys and Girls Club and consistently drew
 3-3     a large crowd of grateful citizens; and
 3-4           WHEREAS, Joe Salem's invaluable contributions to his community
 3-5     earned him numerous awards from police, firefighters, the Boy Scouts
 3-6     of America, and other organizations; he was named in "Who's Who in
 3-7     the World" and received the League of United Latin American Citizens
 3-8     (LULAC) 2000 Community Leader Award; and
 3-9           WHEREAS, An exemplary and distinguished gentleman,
3-10     Joe Salem was beloved and respected by his family and by the
3-11     citizens of South Texas; a man of remarkable integrity, generosity,
3-12     and compassion, he made an indelible imprint on his community; and
3-13           WHEREAS, Joe Salem lived his life to the fullest and was a
3-14     devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and he leaves behind
3-15     memories that will be treasured forever by his family and many
3-16     friends; now, therefore, be it
3-17           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
3-18     77th Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
3-19     family of Joseph John Salem, Sr.:  his wife, Christine L. Salem; his
3-20     daughter, Chris Salem-Scott; his son, Joey Salem; his sister,
3-21     Marie Salem Habeeb; his daughter-in-law, Mary Salem; and his nine
3-22     grandchildren and great-grandson; and, be it further
3-23           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the
3-24     members of his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the
3-25     Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so
3-26     in memory of Joe Salem.
 4-1                                                    Truan
 4-2           Armbrister           Gallegos            Ogden
 4-3           Barrientos           Harris              Shapiro
 4-4           Bernsen              Haywood             Shapleigh
 4-5           Bivins               Jackson             Sibley
 4-6           Brown                Lindsay             Staples
 4-7           Cain                 Lucio               Van de Putte
 4-8           Carona               Madla               Wentworth
 4-9           Duncan               Moncrief            West
4-10           Ellis                Nelson              Whitmire
4-11           Fraser                                   Zaffirini
4-12                      Ratliff, President of the Senate
4-13                                  ______________________________________
4-14                                         President of the Senate
4-15                                       I hereby certify that the above
4-16                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
4-17                                  on April 27, 2001, by a rising vote.
4-18                                  ______________________________________
4-19                                         Secretary of the Senate
4-20                                  ______________________________________
4-21                                            Dean of the Senate