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H.R. No. 145
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Raymond T. "Prof" Bynum of
Abilene on August 1, 2003, at the age of 96, has deeply saddened the
family and many friends of this esteemed gentleman; and
WHEREAS, A native of Arkansas, he was born on August 14, 1906,
in Springdale, pursued his schooling at Sterling City High School
in Texas at age 16, and came to Abilene from Sterling City in 1922 to
enter Simmons College (now Hardin-Simmons University); and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bynum began his teaching career after college
when he was hired by the Abilene school system to teach Spanish; he
soon volunteered to start the Abilene High School band that same
year--the first high school marching band in Texas; and
WHEREAS, He grew and expanded a 16-member boys band to a large
marching band that won several accolades at University
Interscholastic League competitions; during the same period he
organized and implemented an all-city Honor Band composed of
Abilene elementary school students; also in 1938–1939 he directed
the first All-Girls High School Band in Texas; and
WHEREAS, He accepted a new challenge in 1946 by taking a
position offered by McMurry University President Harold G. Cooke to
restart the McMurry Band, which had disbanded at the beginning of
World War II; with his direction the band performed numerous
concert tours in Texas and New Mexico and performed in foreign
countries such as Mexico, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, and
The Netherlands; and
WHEREAS, In 1959, "Friends of the [McMurry] Indian Band"
raised money to build a state-of-the-art McMurry Band Hall, which
was renamed the Bynum Band Hall when Dr. Bynum retired in 1972; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Raymond Bynum and the former Mary Catherine
Admason began their journey as husband and wife in 1934, and the
couple enjoyed a warm and fulfilling relationship until her passing
in 1985; Dr. Bynum was blessed with four children--Ann, Raymond
Jr., William F., and Sue--and as his family grew through the years,
he took great pleasure in being a devoted father, grandfather, and
great-grandfather; and
WHEREAS, This great man remained an active congregant of
First Central Presbyterian Church, serving as an elder; he was a
past president of the Texas Music Educators Association, Abilene
Rotary Club, and Texas Bandmasters Association and was a member of
the American Bandmasters Association; he was honored as Texas Band
Master of the Year in 1968 and was in the hall of fame of Pi Beta Mu,
the national band directors fraternity; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bynum's charm and vivacious personality
delighted his large circle of students, band members, and admirers
throughout his lifetime; some of his former students went on to
become band directors at middle and high schools, one became the
dean of the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, and some
became recognized band directors and administrators at some of the
top universities in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to know Dr. Raymond Bynum
will long miss his zest for life and generous spirit, and his memory
will surely live on in the minds and hearts of the many people whose
lives he touched personally or through music; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Dr. Raymond T. "Prof"
Bynum and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family and
to all those who mourn the passing of this beloved man; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family as an expression of high regard from the
Texas House of Representatives.
Hunter
Craddick Geren Mercer
Allen Giddings Merritt
Alonzo Goodman Miller
Bailey Goolsby Moreno of Harris
Baxter Griggs Moreno of El Paso
Berman Grusendorf Morrison
Bohac Guillen Mowery
Bonnen Gutierrez Naishtat
Branch Haggerty Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hamilton Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hamric Oliveira
Burnam Hardcastle Olivo
Callegari Harper-Brown Paxton
Campbell Hartnett Pena
Canales Heflin Phillips
Capelo Hegar Pickett
Casteel Hilderbran Pitts
Castro Hill Puente
Chavez Hochberg Quintanilla
Chisum Hodge Raymond
Christian Homer Reyna
Coleman Hope Riddle
Cook of Navarro Hopson Ritter
Cook of Colorado Howard Rodriguez
Corte Hughes Rose
Crabb Hunter Seaman
Crownover Hupp Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Harris
Davis of Dallas Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Dawson Jones of Bexar Solis
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solomons
Denny Keel Stick
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Swinford
Driver Keffer of Eastland Talton
Dukes King Taylor
Dunnam Kolkhorst Telford
Dutton Krusee Thompson
Edwards Kuempel Truitt
Eiland Laney Turner
Eissler Laubenberg Uresti
Elkins Lewis Van Arsdale
Ellis Luna Villarreal
Escobar Mabry West
Farabee Madden Wilson
Farrar Marchant Wise
Flores Martinez Fischer Wohlgemuth
Flynn McCall Wolens
Gallego McClendon Wong
Garza McReynolds Woolley
Gattis Menendez Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 145 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on August 22, 2003.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House