80R6640 DKI-D

By: Gallego H.C.R. No. 163

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a dedicated public servant, rancher, and businessman with the death of the Honorable Stillman Dudley Harrison of Sanderson on November 25, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Born on September 4, 1929, in San Antonio, Dudley Harrison was raised in Terrell County, where he developed a love for the distinctive landscape of West Texas; as an adult, he continued in the tradition of his pioneer ranching parents, Wilma and John Harrison, and operated a ranch for much of his life; a skilled entrepreneur as well, he also owned and operated several businesses, including Dudley's Texaco Service Station, the partnership Rio Grande Distributors, a Ford and Mercury dealership known as Dudley Motors, and Harrison Stone Quarry; and

WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan tirelessly supported his community as both a member and leader of numerous organizations, including the Lions Club, the Terrell County Independent School District, the Permian Basin Regional Planning Council, West Texas Centers for MHMR, the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, and Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River Management Plan, to name but a few; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, Mr. Harrison took his passion for public service to the state level, earning election to the Texas House of Representatives for the 68th Legislative Session; subsequently reelected three times, he was a valued member of several house committees, including County Affairs, State Affairs, and Appropriations, and he chaired the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee for two terms; in addition, he was a member of the Governor's Task Force on Waste Management, the Task Force for Tort Law Reform, and the Mexican American Caucus; drawing on his experience as a West Texas rancher and conservationist, he also distinguished himself as a house expert on water rights; and

WHEREAS, Following his legislative service, Mr. Harrison continued to work for the citizens of Terrell County as county judge from 1992 through 2002, helping implement several important projects such as an upgrade of the local airport, a sewer system and sanitation facility, and a regional workshop on nature tourism; his leadership also helped the county obtain numerous grants, including one that made possible the development of high-speed Internet access in the area; moreover, he and his son-in-law, the late Bill Golden, were instrumental in creating the Big Bend Open Road Race, an annual auto racing event held on U.S. Highway 285; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Harrison shared 56 years of marriage with his wife, Doris, and the couple were blessed with four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Dudley Harrison served his fellow Texans with generosity, enthusiasm, and steadfast commitment, and he will long be remembered for his efforts to make Terrell County, and indeed all of the Lone Star State, a better place in which to live; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Stillman Dudley Harrison and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Doris Harrison; to his children, Robie Golden, Damon Harrison, Maje Arthur and her husband, Tommy, and Amy Harrison and her husband, Mac Schmidt; to his grandchildren, Traci Adame, Jeremy and Micah Harrison, Jon Tom and Lyndee Lowrance, and Sara and Clayton Schmidt; to his great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby instruct the Texas Department of Transportation to designate the portion of U.S. Highway 90 within the boundaries of Sanderson as the Stillman Dudley Harrison Memorial Highway; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared for his family and the chair of the Texas Transportation Commission and that when the Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Stillman Dudley Harrison.