79R5941 JHS-D

By:  Solis                                                        H.R. No. 479



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Honorable Reynaldo Garza, the nation's first 
Hispanic federal judge, passed away at the age of 89 on September 
14, 2004, and the loss of this trailblazing jurist offers a fitting 
opportunity to remember him and to celebrate his life and 
achievements; and
	WHEREAS, An inspirational figure in the lives of generations 
of Mexican Americans, Judge Garza was appointed by President John 
F. Kennedy to the United States District Court's Southern District 
of Texas in 1961; that historic event opened the doors for Hispanic 
Americans and other minority groups to play a more prominent role in 
our nation's legislative and judicial systems; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Garza's term on the district court was 
followed by his appointment to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 
by President Jimmy Carter in 1979; just three years after his 
appointment, he achieved senior status on the court, and throughout 
his impressive tenure he continued to build on his reputation as a 
leader and mentor in the legal community; and
	WHEREAS, The son of Mexican immigrants, Reynaldo Garza was 
born on July 7, 1915, and attended high school in Brownsville; after 
earning his bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at 
Austin in 1939, he proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1942 to 
1945; and
	WHEREAS, A true pioneer and a judicial giant in the Rio Grande 
Valley and beyond, Judge Garza is remembered by countless friends 
and family members for his intelligence, integrity, and 
determination; he was a humble man of strong faith, who inspired 
young and old alike and possessed a keen sense of humor, and he is 
dearly missed by all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable 
Reynaldo Garza and extend deepest sympathy to his wife, Bertha, to 
his children, to his grandchildren, and to the other relatives, 
friends, and admirers of this esteemed gentleman; 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 Judge 
Reynaldo Garza.