H.R. No. 2045
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, For more than 40 years, Norman Brinker of Dallas has
marked an ingenious professional path with his entrepreneurial
spirit and directed ambition; and
WHEREAS, Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1931, Mr. Brinker
graduated from high school in Roswell, New Mexico, and attended the
New Mexico Military Institute before joining the U.S. Navy; he
subsequently won a berth on the 1952 U.S. Olympic equestrian team
and competed in the 1954 Modern Pentathlon World Championships in
Budapest; after his military service, he enrolled in the marketing
program at San Diego State University and supported himself by
selling cutlery door-to-door and managing a clothing import
business; and
WHEREAS, After college, Mr. Brinker joined entrepreneur
Robert Peterson's company, which founded the Jack in the Box
restaurants, and quickly rose through the ranks to become a major
partner and leader in the rise of the franchise to national
prominence; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, this visionary professional identified a
vacant niche in the restaurant business between fast–food chains
and fine dining establishments, and started Steak & Ale restaurants
to offer affordable, quality dining; the restaurants expanded
rapidly and eventually merged with the Pillsbury Company; by 1982,
Mr. Brinker was president of the Pillsbury Restaurant Group, the
second-largest restaurant operation in the world; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brinker eventually invested in Chili's, Inc.,
when the organization only included 28 restaurants, and assumed the
role of chairman and CEO; in 1991, Chili's was renamed Brinker
International, and today operates five unique dining concepts with
a total of 1,500 restaurants in 49 states, the District of Columbia,
and 24 countries; the organization's innovator retired in 2000 but
still serves as chairman emeritus of this widely successful
company; and
WHEREAS, A published author and recipient of the Horatio
Alger Award, Mr. Brinker has personally mentored many of the
restaurant industry's top executives and brightest stars, and he is
truly an inspiration to resourceful, budding young business leaders
across the globe; his rigorous pursuit of his dreams and his
unfaltering dedication to quality dining are certainly worthy of
special commendation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Norman Brinker on his extraordinary
professional accomplishments and extend to him sincere best wishes
for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Brinker as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Driver
Craddick Geren Menendez
Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt
Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller
Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris
Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso
Anderson Goolsby Morrison
Bailey Griggs Mowery
Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat
Berman Guillen Nixon
Blake Haggerty Noriega
Bohac Hamilton Oliveira
Bonnen Hamric Olivo
Branch Hardcastle Orr
Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton
Burnam Hegar Pena
Callegari Herrero Phillips
Campbell Hilderbran Pickett
Casteel Hill Pitts
Castro Hochberg Puente
Chavez Hodge Quintanilla
Chisum Homer Raymond
Coleman Hope Reyna
Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle
Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter
Corte Hughes Rodriguez
Crabb Hunter Rose
Crownover Hupp Seaman
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris
Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis
Denny Keel Solomons
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama
Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus
Dukes King of Parker Swinford
Dunnam King of Zavala Talton
Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor
Edwards Krusee Thompson
Eiland Kuempel Truitt
Eissler Laney Turner
Elkins Laubenberg Uresti
Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale
Farabee Luna Veasey
Farrar Madden Villarreal
Flores Martinez Vo
Flynn Martinez Fischer West
Frost McCall Wong
Gallego McClendon Woolley
Gattis McReynolds Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2045 was adopted by the House on May
25, 2005, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House