| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Roy J. Eaton, the president and publisher of the |
|
|
Wise County Messenger in Decatur, was inducted into the Texas |
|
|
Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame at the Texas Press Association's |
|
|
60th annual midwinter conference in Houston on January 19, 2007; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A native of Decatur, this acclaimed Texas newsman |
|
|
was still a student at Texas Christian University when he began his |
|
|
long career in journalism as a part-time reporter for radio station |
|
|
KXOL in Fort Worth in 1956; in 1958 he became KXOL's news director, |
|
|
a year before his graduation from TCU; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Eaton was named news director of radio station |
|
|
WBAP in 1968; from there he became news director of the NBC |
|
|
television affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, eventually serving as |
|
|
the station's anchorman; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1973 he returned to Decatur and purchased the |
|
|
Wise County Messenger, a weekly newspaper first published in the |
|
|
county in 1880; in 1980 Mr. Eaton began publishing the paper twice |
|
|
weekly, and in the 34 years he and his wife Jeannine have owned the |
|
|
Messenger, they have tripled the size of the paper and increased its |
|
|
circulation nearly three-fold; the Wise County Messenger has won |
|
|
over 150 design, editorial, and advertising awards over the years; |
|
|
in 2005 it won the National Newspaper Association's General |
|
|
Excellence Award for twice-weekly newspapers; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A longtime leader in his profession, Mr. Eaton has |
|
|
served on the board and various committees of the National |
|
|
Newspaper Association, and as its president from 1996 to 1997; a |
|
|
former president of the Texas Press Association, the Texas |
|
|
Newspaper Foundation, and the Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of |
|
|
Professional Journalists, he is also a past director of the Freedom |
|
|
of Information Foundation of Texas; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, He has also ably and generously served his community |
|
|
as chief of the Decatur Volunteer Fire Department, chairman of the |
|
|
board of Wise Regional Health System, and chairman of the Decatur |
|
|
Airport Advisory Committee; in 1980 he was named Decatur's Citizen |
|
|
of the Year; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Standing out among his many professional honors is |
|
|
Mr. Eaton's receipt in 2004 of the Amos Award from the National |
|
|
Newspaper Association for distinguished service and leadership in |
|
|
the community newspaper business; in 2005 he received the |
|
|
prestigious Ethics Award from the Schieffer School of Journalism at |
|
|
Texas Christian University in recognition of his high ethical |
|
|
standards in the profession of journalism; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, During a long and exemplary career, Roy J. Eaton has |
|
|
demonstrated unwavering commitment, boundless energy, and great |
|
|
integrity in the service of his profession and his community; he is |
|
|
an inspiration to journalists everywhere and a justly celebrated |
|
|
Texas success story; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Roy J. Eaton for his induction into |
|
|
the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame and extend best wishes |
|
|
to him for continued success; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for |
|
|
Mr. Eaton as a token of high regard by the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives. |
| |
|
|
King of Parker |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 287 was adopted by the House on March |
|
|
1, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |