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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Roy J. Eaton, the president and publisher of the |
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Wise County Messenger in Decatur, was inducted into the Texas |
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Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame at the Texas Press Association's |
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60th annual midwinter conference in Houston on January 19, 2007; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Decatur, this acclaimed Texas newsman |
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was still a student at Texas Christian University when he began his |
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long career in journalism as a part-time reporter for radio station |
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KXOL in Fort Worth in 1956; in 1958 he became KXOL's news director, |
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a year before his graduation from TCU; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Eaton was named news director of radio station |
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WBAP in 1968; from there he became news director of the NBC |
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television affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, eventually serving as |
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the station's anchorman; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1973 he returned to Decatur and purchased the |
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Wise County Messenger, a weekly newspaper first published in the |
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county in 1880; in 1980 Mr. Eaton began publishing the paper twice |
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weekly, and in the 34 years he and his wife Jeannine have owned the |
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Messenger, they have tripled the size of the paper and increased its |
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circulation nearly three-fold; the Wise County Messenger has won |
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over 150 design, editorial, and advertising awards over the years; |
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in 2005 it won the National Newspaper Association's General |
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Excellence Award for twice-weekly newspapers; and |
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WHEREAS, A longtime leader in his profession, Mr. Eaton has |
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served on the board and various committees of the National |
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Newspaper Association, and as its president from 1996 to 1997; a |
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former president of the Texas Press Association, the Texas |
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Newspaper Foundation, and the Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of |
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Professional Journalists, he is also a past director of the Freedom |
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of Information Foundation of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, He has also ably and generously served his community |
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as chief of the Decatur Volunteer Fire Department, chairman of the |
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board of Wise Regional Health System, and chairman of the Decatur |
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Airport Advisory Committee; in 1980 he was named Decatur's Citizen |
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of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, Standing out among his many professional honors is |
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Mr. Eaton's receipt in 2004 of the Amos Award from the National |
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Newspaper Association for distinguished service and leadership in |
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the community newspaper business; in 2005 he received the |
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prestigious Ethics Award from the Schieffer School of Journalism at |
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Texas Christian University in recognition of his high ethical |
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standards in the profession of journalism; and |
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WHEREAS, During a long and exemplary career, Roy J. Eaton has |
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demonstrated unwavering commitment, boundless energy, and great |
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integrity in the service of his profession and his community; he is |
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an inspiration to journalists everywhere and a justly celebrated |
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Texas success story; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Roy J. Eaton for his induction into |
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the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame and extend best wishes |
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to him for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for |
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Mr. Eaton as a token of high regard by the Texas House of |
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Representatives. |