H.R. No. 268


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Memories of a life filled with joyous moments and meaningful accomplishments may comfort the family and friends of Arthur Temple, Jr., who passed away on April 12, 2006; and WHEREAS, Born April 8, 1920, in Texarkana, Arkansas, Mr. Temple attended The University of Texas at Austin and served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II; and WHEREAS, Mr. Temple is considered to be one of the most influential East Texans of the century; beginning his remarkable business career as a bookkeeper with his grandfather's sawmill, Southern Pine Lumber Company, he was made executive vice president and general manager in 1948, and soon implemented changes that would shape not only the business, but also the future of his community; and WHEREAS, After the passing of his father in 1951, Mr. Temple became president of the company; during his 22 years of leadership, he helped to modernize the timber industry in East Texas, selling particleboard and fiberboard from sawmill waste and milling and selling plywood; and WHEREAS, In 1973, the business, then known as Temple Industries, merged with Time, Inc.; serving as group vice president and member of the board, Mr. Temple was instrumental in a major restructuring that resulted in the reconsolidation of forest products, paper, packaging, and financial services into Temple-Inland, a new company that eventually made it to Wall Street; he went on to hold the position of chairman from 1984 to 1991, and chairman emeritus for the following few years; and WHEREAS, This celebrated and innovative businessman will also be remembered as a generous philanthropist who did much for the sick, the working class, and the underserved; and WHEREAS, A cofounder of the Hospice of the Pines, Mr. Temple served on the boards of the Salvation Army and the Humane Society; he insisted on higher wages and better housing conditions for his employees, and as organizer and chairman of the board of the T. L. L. Temple Foundation, he oversaw a host of beneficial projects, including the building of libraries, schools, and other community facilities, and provided support for the Texas Book Festival and the Blanton Museum of Art; and WHEREAS, Mr. Temple was similarly dedicated to the preservation of the precious resources of our state; his tremendous success in business was built on progressive timber conservation and management practices, and the stature of this Texas giant was akin to the soaring pines of the Big Thicket National Preserve, an ecological treasure he fought to create; and WHEREAS, Higher education was another of his many passions; a proud supporter of Stephen F. Austin's College of Forestry, which bears his name, he hired many of its graduates and had said on several occasions that he considered it to be the best of its kind in the nation; in addition to his work with SFA, Mr. Temple served on the Texas State Board of Education, was a regent at Lamar University, and was a trustee for Duke University; and WHEREAS, Few individuals have had such a profound and lasting impact on their communities as Arthur Temple, Jr., and although he will be greatly missed by many, his contributions and benevolent deeds will long live in the hearts of those who knew this compassionate, visionary man; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Arthur Temple, Jr., and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Ann Shands Temple; to his son, Arthur "Buddy" Temple III, and his wife, Ellen; to his daughter, Charlotte; to his stepsons, David Wimp and Jay Shands and his wife, Susie; to his stepdaughter, Becky Getter, and her husband, Kerry; to his grandchildren, William "Spence" Spencer, Christopher Spencer, Arthur Spencer, Katherine Zelanzny, Whitney Temple Grace, John C. Hurst, Jr., Hannah Temple, and Susie Temple Duquette; to his stepgrandchildren, Rob Shands, Annie Brown, Richie Getter, Hill Shands, and Matt Shands; to his great-grandchildren, Lilly and Walter Duquette, Maggie Grace, Mary Ellen Sanders, Sam and Sarah Spencer, Charlotte and Anna Spencer, and Tyler and Thomas Spencer; to his sister, Ann Allen; to his brother-in-law, Bill Mayo; 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Arthur Temple, Jr. McReynolds ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 268 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 27, 2006. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House