H.C.R. No. 13
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Citizens across Central Texas have lost a legendary
public servant and a trusted friend with the passing of the
Honorable James Jarrell "Jake" Pickle of Austin on June 18, 2005, at
the age of 91; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his 31-year career in the United States
House of Representatives, Congressman Pickle devoted his
considerable abilities to advancing the interests of his district
and to helping individual constituents in any way that he and his
staff possibly could; renowned for his accessibility, his
tremendous capacity for hard work, and his determination to use
government to assist ordinary people, he became a touchstone for
kindness, integrity, and dedication in the realm of public service;
and
WHEREAS, Born the fourth of five children in the West Texas
town of Roscoe on October 11, 1913, James Jarrell Pickle grew up in
Big Spring; a youth with an affable nature, he earned his famous
nickname while his family was acting out a drama for entertainment;
the character that he played, "Jake," was a rascal--and the name
stayed with him for the rest of his life; and
WHEREAS, Relocating to Austin, he attended The University of
Texas, where he served as student body president; after receiving
his bachelor's degree in 1938, he joined the National Youth
Administration as an area director; he accepted a commission in the
U.S. Navy in 1942 and subsequently served as a gunnery officer for
3-1/2 years in the South Pacific; and
WHEREAS, Following his return to Austin in 1945, J. J. "Jake"
Pickle joined with a group of other veterans to launch the radio
station KVET, and four years later he cofounded a public relations
firm; in the 1950s, he became a member of the State Democratic
Executive Committee, which he first served as organizational
secretary and later, from 1957 to 1960, as chairman; during the
1950s and the early 1960s, he managed or actively supported the
campaigns of numerous political candidates--among them Lyndon
Johnson, Allan Shivers, Price Daniel, Sr., and John Connally; and
WHEREAS, Jake Pickle served on the Texas Employment
Commission from 1961 to 1963, when he won a special election to fill
the seat for the state's 10th Congressional District, left vacant
by the resignation of William Homer Thornberry during the 88th
Congress; sworn in on Christmas Eve, 1963, he went on to win
election to 15 more terms before declining to run again in 1994; at
the time of his retirement, he was the third ranking Democrat on the
powerful Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives;
and
WHEREAS, Arriving in Washington, D.C., at the beginning of
Lyndon Johnson's administration, Jake Pickle gave his support to
the president's ambitious domestic program, including legislation
to achieve far-reaching social reform; two months into his freshman
term, he became one of only six southern representatives to vote in
favor of the 1964 Civil Rights Act--a vote that he later described
as the most significant of his entire congressional career; and
WHEREAS, Among his many accomplishments, he took special
pride in his leadership, as chairman of the social security
subcommittee, in crafting and passing a bill in 1983 to restore
solvency to that program; other areas of policy in which he left an
imprint included trade, health care, pension system and tax reform,
and alternative energy research; working tirelessly on behalf of
his district, he played a key role in transforming Austin into a
prominent center for high-technology research and development
while also securing significant federal funding for The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and the
Balcones National Wildlife Refuge; and
WHEREAS, For Congressman Pickle, leaving public office
didn't mean leaving public service; back in Austin, he assisted
with myriad local projects and helped to raise funds for a number of
area charities; whenever possible, he would try to assist former
constituents who still sought his aid and counsel, and he continued
to revel in working any gathering, joyfully meeting, greeting, and
inquiring after the welfare of all persons he encountered; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his sterling service through the
years, former Representative Pickle was designated a Distinguished
Alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin, where his name graces
a chair in the Department of Government, a fellowship fund at the
LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a research center; also named in
his honor are the federal building in downtown Austin and an
elementary school on the city's north side, a runway at
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and the conference center
at M. D. Anderson Research Park in nearby Smithville; and
WHEREAS, Jake Pickle married Ella Nora "Sugar" Critz in 1942;
she passed away in 1952 and in 1960 he married Beryl Bolton
McCarroll, with whom he enjoyed a 45-year union; and
WHEREAS, Through his exceptional public service, loyal
friendship, and generous spirit, J. J. "Jake" Pickle enriched
countless lives, and the legacy and memory of this good and decent
man will shine for years to come not only in the Lone Star State but
throughout a grateful nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas,
1st Called Session, 2005, hereby pay special tribute to the
well-lived life of the Honorable James Jarrell "Jake" Pickle and
extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife,
Beryl Pickle; to his daughter, Peggy Pickle, and her husband,
Donald Cook; to his stepsons, Dick McCarroll and his wife, Missy,
and Graham McCarroll and his wife, Marsha; to his brother, Joe
Pickle; to his sister, Judith Pickle Lancaster, and her husband,
Jonathan; to his grandchildren, Bergan Casey, Todd Mack, and
Bennett, Christine, Matthew Jake, and Bradley McCarroll; to his
great-grandchildren, Ferrell Mack, Peyton Critz Casey, and
Katherine and Maggie McCarroll; and to his other relatives and many
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of
the Honorable James Jarrell "Jake" Pickle.
Naishtat
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 13 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on July 13, 2005.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 13 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the Senate on July 18, 2005.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor