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78R9721 CME-D
By: Lewis H.C.R. No. 154
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable Doyle Willis has served his state and
his country with honor and distinction and has developed a
well-deserved reputation as a distinguished citizen, an
exceptional legislator, and a highly regarded advocate for victims
of child abuse, the elderly, and, most notably, peace officers; and
WHEREAS, A native Texan, this esteemed public servant pursued
his higher education at The University of Texas at Austin and
continued his pursuit of academic excellence at Georgetown
University Law School; during his four years of law school, he
worked for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and fellow
Texan Sam Rayburn and learned the value of truly representing the
concerns of one's constituents; and
WHEREAS, This distinguished veteran of World War II served in
the South Pacific theater as an Army Air Corps intelligence
officer, and his selfless patriotism earned him the Bronze Star and
four Battle Stars; following his military tenure, he was honorably
discharged as a major, and shortly thereafter he began an
unparalleled term of legislative service to his fellow Texans; and
WHEREAS, His 42 years of service as a legislator began in
1946, when he was first elected to the Texas House of
Representatives; he served three sessions as a state representative
before beginning a highly productive 10-year term in the Texas
Senate; he then was reelected to the house in 1968 and again in 1972
and proudly served there until his retirement a quarter-century
later; and
WHEREAS, Among the many accomplishments of his life in the
Texas Legislature are his service as president pro tempore of the
Texas Senate, dean of the Texas House of Representatives, and
governor of Texas for a day on August 13, 1961; his legislative
achievements are equally impressive and include authoring more than
100 bills, many of them promoting civil service protection for
peace officers; the passage of a constitutional amendment that
authorized the Veterans' Land Board to make low-interest loans
available to qualified veterans for the purchase of homes; and the
establishment of a trust fund for victims of child abuse; and
WHEREAS, His many contributions to the well-being of the Lone
Star State are evidenced by his recognition as an outstanding
legislator by a wide range of groups, including organizations of
teachers, women, police, firefighters, labor advocates, senior
citizens, veterans, and others too numerous to mention; and
WHEREAS, The 79th Annual Convention of the Department of
Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States passed
Resolution No. 1003 requesting that a bust of the Honorable Doyle
Willis be placed in the Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Such display would memorialize those veterans who
have been long-serving members of the Texas Legislature; having
served more than four decades in both chambers of the legislature
and 54 months in World War II, Doyle Willis exemplifies the true
meaning of citizenship and is best suited to represent those brave
men and women who have endured with honor the sacrifices of combat
and served with dignity as stewards of the voters' trust in the
legislature; and
WHEREAS, Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and many
former legislators and associations have privately funded a bronzed
bust of the Honorable Doyle Willis that would be most appropriate
for display in the extension wing of the Capitol; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
direct the State Preservation Board to accept the donation of a
bronzed bust of the Honorable Doyle Willis and to permanently
display the bust in a prominent location in the extension wing of
the Capitol; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the executive director of the State
Preservation Board.