|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, James G. Dickson has greatly contributed to the |
|
betterment of his Gulf Coast community, and the cities of Lake |
|
Jackson, Freeport, and Clute and the Brazosport Area Chamber of |
|
Commerce are joining together on February 20, 2007, to honor this |
|
notable Texan; and |
|
WHEREAS, Growing up, Gil Dickson loved hunting, fishing, and |
|
horseback riding, and his interest led him to study every inch of |
|
his surroundings; in 1941, while on summer break from college, he |
|
found a job that used his knowledge of the land, making maps of the |
|
town of Lake Jackson for Dow Chemical Company; and |
|
WHEREAS, He received invaluable personal direction from |
|
renowned architect Alden Dow and Texas Dow general manager A. P. |
|
Beutel, who inspired him with original ideas on land development; |
|
their plans replaced small checkerboard blocks with large blocks, |
|
curving streets, and prominent green areas that distinguish Lake |
|
Jackson to this day; and |
|
WHEREAS, After earning his civil engineering degree from The |
|
University of Texas and proudly serving his country in World War II, |
|
Mr. Dickson returned to his home in Freeport; he worked on a |
|
hurricane levee project before joining former county engineer T. J. |
|
Dunbar in an engineering partnership that added numerous |
|
neighborhoods in Lake Jackson and designed streets, drainage, |
|
utilities, and additions for the City of Freeport, as well as |
|
buildings and facilities for Port Freeport; and |
|
WHEREAS, When Hurricane Carla destroyed area levees in 1961, |
|
Dunbar and Dickson Engineering worked with the Velasco Drainage |
|
District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to produce a superior |
|
levee system that remains well-respected among engineers today; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Dickson's original ideas led to a host of unique |
|
consulting jobs; he helped to develop an anechoic chamber for the |
|
NASA Johnson Space Center, listened to space chatter with the |
|
National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, worked on |
|
projects for the Navajo Nation in Arizona, and assisted Standard |
|
Oil in planning a new town in Everett, Washington; and |
|
WHEREAS, In addition to his professional contributions, Mr. |
|
Dickson volunteered his time to the local chamber of commerce, |
|
becoming the organization's youngest president and earning the |
|
title Man of the Year for his many civic endeavors; and |
|
WHEREAS, A devoted family man, he shared many years with Ora |
|
Wehring Dickson before her passing; fortunate to find love a second |
|
time, he now shares his life with Beth Reid Dickson; he is blessed |
|
with four children, Jim Dickson, Linda McIrvin, Jeff Reid, |
|
and Shelley Hawkins, four grandchildren, and three |
|
great-grandchildren; and |
|
WHEREAS, Although it is impossible to fully gauge the impact |
|
of a man's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark on |
|
the world as they move through it, and the contributions Gil Dickson |
|
has made continue to resonate in his community; now, therefore, be |
|
it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby honor James G. "Gil" Dickson for his work in |
|
behalf of the Texas Gulf Coast area and extend to him sincere best |
|
wishes for the future; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for Mr. Dickson as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives. |