SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 180
In Memory
of
Arthur Temple, Jr.
WHEREAS, Renowned Texas industrialist and philanthropist
Arthur Temple, Jr., of Lufkin passed away on April 12, 2006, at
the age of 86, and his death brings to a close an extraordinary
chapter in the history of this state; and
WHEREAS, Born on April 8, 1920, in Texarkana, Arkansas,
Mr. Temple graduated from high school in Texarkana and attended
The University of Texas; during World War II, he served his
country as a member of the United States Navy; and
WHEREAS, Arthur Temple began his business career as a
bookkeeper for the Southern Pine Lumber Company, an enterprise
founded by his grandfather; he became general manager of the
company in 1948 and president in 1951, and over the next two
decades he guided the company through a period of significant
growth and modernization; and
WHEREAS, In 1969 his company, known by then as Temple
Industries, went public, and in 1973 it merged with Time,
Incorporated; Arthur Temple then became a group vice president
and a member of the board, serving as vice chairman from 1973 to
1978; and
WHEREAS, During his years at Time, Mr. Temple took part in
a major restructuring that saw the forest products, paper,
packaging, and financial services operations spun off as a new
public company, Temple-Inland; he served as chairman of that
company until 1991 and as chairman emeritus until 1994; and
WHEREAS, A highly regarded leader in his industry,
Mr. Temple not only transformed Southern Pine but also played a
critical role in introducing conservation practices to Texas
forestry, including efforts to protect forest wildlife; he was
also active in industry organizations, chairing the National
Forest Products Association and numerous other groups; and
WHEREAS, Joining with H. J. Shands, Sr., Mr. Temple formed
Diboll State Bank and Pineland State Bank; in Diboll, the home of
Southern Pine and later the headquarters of Temple-Inland, he
established a clinic and ambulance service and fostered numerous
other improvements; six years before the Supreme Court decided
Brown v. Board of Education, Mr. Temple led the integration of
the Diboll schools; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan was instrumental in the
construction of the Sam Rayburn Reservoir in the 1950s and 1960s
and in the creation of the Big Thicket National Preserve in 1974;
and
WHEREAS, Strongly supportive of education, he served as a
member of the Texas State Board of Education, as a regent at Lamar
University, and as a trustee for Duke University; moreover,
through the T. L. L. Temple Foundation, which he founded and then
chaired from 1962 to 2000, he promoted the building of schools,
libraries, and other community facilities in East Texas; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Temple helped to found Lufkin's Hospice in the
Pines and served on its board, as well as on the boards of the
Lufkin Salvation Army, the Humane Society of Angelina County, and
many other community agencies; and
WHEREAS, Inducted into the Texas Forestry Hall of Fame in
2002, Mr. Temple was also recognized with honorary doctorates
from Pepperdine University and from Stephen F. Austin State University;
in addition, the College of Forestry at Stephen F. Austin and the
Diboll civic center were both named in his honor; and
WHEREAS, With his first wife, Mary MacQuiston Temple,
Mr. Temple had two children, Charlotte Anne Temple and
Arthur "Buddy" Temple III; preceded in death by his second wife,
Lottie Dean Temple, to whom he was wed for 38 years, he had
remarried and enjoyed a rewarding union with Ann Shands Temple;
and
WHEREAS, With the passing of Arthur Temple, Jr., the
State of Texas has lost one of its true giants; through the
innovations he introduced in the Texas forest industry, his
contributions to the economic development of East Texas, his
civic leadership, and his philanthropy, he helped to change the
face of a region that he deeply loved and forged a legacy that
will continue to enrich Texans for generations to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
79th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the
life of Arthur Temple, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the
members of his family: to his wife, Ann Shands Temple; to his
daughter, Charlotte Temple; to his son and daughter-in-law,
Arthur "Buddy" Temple III and Ellen Temple; to his stepchildren,
David Wimp, Jay Shands and his wife, Susie, and Becky Getter and
her husband Kerry; to his grandchildren, William "Spence" Spencer,
Christopher Spencer, Arthur Spencer and Katherine Zelanzny,
Whitney Temple Grace, John C. Hurst, Jr., and Hannah Temple, and
Susie Temple Duquette; to his step-grandchildren, Rob Shands,
Annie Brown and 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 all others
who mourn his passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for his family, and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
this day, it do so in memory of Arthur Temple, Jr.
Staples, Ellis
Armbrister Gallegos Ogden
Averitt Harris Seliger
Barrientos Hinojosa Shapiro
Brimer Jackson Shapleigh
Carona Janek Van de Putte
Deuell Lindsay Wentworth
Duncan Lucio West
Eltife Madla Whitmire
Estes Nelson Williams
Fraser Zaffirini
Dewhurst, President of the Senate
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 9, 2006, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate