H.C.R. No. 24
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, With the passing of the Honorable John Ray Harrison,
Sr., of Pasadena on December 22, 2001, at the age of 71, the State of
Texas lost a longtime and much-esteemed public figure; and
WHEREAS, This native Texan was born in Abilene on August 2,
1930, and graduated from Abilene High School; he later earned a
bachelor's degree from McMurry College and a doctor of
jurisprudence degree from South Texas School of Law; and
WHEREAS, A practicing attorney for more than a
quarter-century, Mr. Harrison was elected to the Texas House of
Representatives in 1964; he was named Outstanding Freshman Member
during the 59th Legislature, and his achievements in office
included passage of a bill raising the age for compulsory school
attendance to 17 years and a bill that became a model for municipal
ordinances requiring fences at public pools; and
WHEREAS, After serving on the Pasadena City Council for four
years beginning in 1969, Mr. Harrison was elected mayor in 1973 and
again in 1977, 1985, and 1989; during his outstanding tenure, he
succeeded in constructing and renovating ballparks around the city
and worked diligently to improve the quality of life for his
constituents; from 1978 to 1985, Mr. Harrison served as a Texas
state district judge for Harris County; and
WHEREAS, Widely respected for his able leadership, John Ray
Harrison shared his time and energy generously with both
professional and community organizations; a former president of the
Pasadena Bar Association, he also led the Harris County Mayors and
Councils Association; and
WHEREAS, Other organizations that benefited from his active
involvement include the Neighborhood Center, YMCA, Pasadena
National Little League, and Pasadena Teenage Baseball, in addition
to the Pasadena Rodeo Association and the Pasadena Barrister's Fast
Pitch Association; he was, moreover, a valued member of the city's
First United Methodist Church; and
WHEREAS, For his efforts, Mr. Harrison was named Pasadena's
Outstanding Young Man of the Year in 1960 and the city's Outstanding
Male Citizen in 1980; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Harrison's devotion to his fellow Texans was
surpassed only by his love of family, which included his wife of 53
years, Barbara, seven children, and eight cherished grandchildren;
and
WHEREAS, One of the most prominent individuals in Pasadena
public life for the past four decades, John Ray Harrison worked
tenaciously for the betterment of his community, and the legacy he
left behind lives on in the hearts and minds of the many people
whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the life of John Ray Harrison, Sr., and extend
sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Barbara
Harrison; to his sons and daughters-in-law, John Ray and Cyndi
Harrison, Michael and Susan Harrison, Kipper Harrison, and Robert
and Kelly Harrison; to his daughters and sons-in-law, Donna and
Greg Upchurch, Nikki and Donald Caffey, and Nancy and Jim Farries;
to his brothers, Ben and Don Harrison; and to his grandchildren,
other relatives, and many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas House
of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory
of John Ray Harrison, Sr.
Talton
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
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 24 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 12, 2003.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 24 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the Senate on May 29, 2003.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor