78R4279 WMS-D By: McClendon H.R. No. 101R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a distinguished native son with the passing of the Honorable Maury Maverick, Jr., on January 28, 2003, at the age of 82; and WHEREAS, After graduating from the Texas Military Institute in 1938, Mr. Maverick joined the U.S. Marines and served his country during World War II in the Pacific theater; his higher education included a bachelor's degree in economics from The University of Texas and a law degree from St. Mary's University; and WHEREAS, Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a United States representative and mayor of San Antonio, Mr. Maverick entered the political arena and won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives; as a member of that distinguished body from 1950 to 1956, he consistently took principled stands against Red-baiting and discriminatory legislation, and he helped derail a bill that would have imposed the death penalty on convicted Communists; and WHEREAS, He then turned his seemingly limitless energy to his legal practice, undertaking many cases relating to civil rights law and tirelessly representing the downtrodden and the disadvantaged; in 1964 he successfully argued a case before the United States Supreme Court, overturning the arrest of a San Antonio man for the possession of supposedly seditious papers that included the works of Karl Marx and Jean-Paul Sartre; and WHEREAS, Mr. Maverick's notable legal expertise was matched by his exceptional generosity; in recognition of his work on more than 300 pro bono cases during his career, he was chosen to receive the prestigious John Minor Wisdom Public Interest and Professional Award by the American Bar Association in 1991; and WHEREAS, Also a gifted writer, he began a long association with the San Antonio Express-News in 1980, and his popular and provoking columns graced that publication's pages for over two decades; and WHEREAS, To his varied roles as an attorney, public servant, and columnist, Mr. Maverick brought an unshakeable commitment to serving the needs of those whose voices so often go unheard; the qualities of courage, tenacity, and wit that were ever-present in his life are virtues admired by all Texans, and his legacy of achievement will benefit residents of our state for generations to come; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the life of the Honorable Maury Maverick, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Julia Maverick; to his sister, Terrellita Maverick; and to the many other relatives, friends, and admirers of this beloved Texas icon; 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Maury Maverick, Jr.