H.R. No. 1454

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Honorable Jack Pope, a former chief justice of
	the Texas Supreme Court who has rendered immeasurable service to
	the Lone Star State, is celebrating his 94th birthday on April 18,
	2007; and
	WHEREAS, Born and raised in Abilene, Judge Pope knew from the
	time he was a boy that he wanted to be a lawyer; as a youth, he also
	showed the passion for learning that later marked his distinguished
	career; a voracious reader, he found inspiration in such figures as
	the Roman historian Tacitus and orator Cicero; and
	WHEREAS, After graduating from Abilene High School in 1930,
	Jack Pope attended Abilene Christian College, where he majored in
	speech, earned letters as a member of the debate and tennis teams,
	and served as president of the junior class and the Student
	Association; subsequently, at The University of Texas School of
	Law, he served as student editor of the Texas Law Review; and
	WHEREAS, Licensed by the bar in 1937, Judge Pope moved to
	Corpus Christi and joined the firm of his uncle, former state
	representative Walter E. Pope; he quickly gained wide-ranging
	experience in civil and criminal law and in New Deal-era labor and
	transportation regulatory law; and
	WHEREAS, Though he was exempt from military service in World
	War II because he was the father of two young children, Judge Pope
	enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1944 and served stateside for
	the next two years; discharged in 1946, he returned to the practice
	of law but later that year received an appointment as judge of the
	94th District Court, becoming, at the age of 33, the youngest
	district judge then serving in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, In 1950, Judge Pope won the first of three
	consecutive terms on the Court of Civil Appeals in San Antonio;
	during his tenure, he issued a landmark ruling concerning the
	Spanish roots of Texas water law, establishing a precedent that
	continues to guide jurists to the present day; and
	WHEREAS, Elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1964, Judge
	Pope helped to draft significant rulings on property rights and
	tort reform during his years as an associate justice; in 1982
	Governor Bill Clements appointed him to the post of chief justice,
	an office he held until his retirement in 1985, and his tenure in
	that post was marked by the elimination of double appeals and by
	other important reforms in court administration; and
	WHEREAS, Known for the lucidity of his thought and writing,
	Judge Pope published more than 1,000 judicial opinions and over 70
	law-related articles during the course of his career; and
	WHEREAS, Since stepping down from the bench two decades ago,
	Judge Pope has continued to lead an active life; he has served as
	president of the National Council of the ChristianChronicle, a
	publication covering news of the Churches of Christ, and coedited a
	volume about his ancestor John Berry, a notable Texas pioneer; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Pope credits Abilene Christian University
	with providing an essential foundation for his success in life, and
	in return for the invaluable lessons he learned there, he has been
	one of that school's staunchest supporters; he joined the ACU Board
	of Trustees in 1954 and has served on the senior board since 1983;
	and
	WHEREAS, In tribute to its esteemed graduate, ACU has
	conferred on Judge Pope its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award,
	as well as its Change the World award; moreover, since 1989, the
	school has bestowed scholarships on outstanding students who are
	intending to pursue a career in public service, designating them as
	Jack Pope Fellows; and
	WHEREAS, Another institution that has benefited from Judge
	Pope's active involvement is the State Law Library, which was
	created as a separate state agency in 1971 largely through his
	efforts; Judge Pope serves as a member emeritus of the Friends of
	the State Law Library Board of Directors, and the Friends have
	recognized him and another former chief justice, Joe Greenhill,
	with the establishment of the Greenhill-Pope Law Book Fund; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Pope is the recipient of four honorary degrees
	and countless other accolades; on April 20, 2007, he is being
	saluted by Austin Groups for the Elderly with the Willie Kocurek
	Vital Aging Award; and
	WHEREAS, From their marriage in 1938 until her passing in
	2004, Judge Pope and his wife, Allene, shared a richly rewarding
	union; their family today includes two sons, Allen and Jackson
	Pope, two grandsons, Drew and Ryan Pope, and two
	great-grandchildren, Dylan and Peyton Locke; and
	WHEREAS, Hailed for his intellect and integrity, Judge Pope
	has contributed significantly to jurisprudence in the State of
	Texas, and it is indeed a privilege to join in wishing him well on
	this special day; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas
	Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Jack Pope on the
	joyous occasion of his 94th birthday and extend to him profound
	appreciation for his exemplary public service; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Judge Pope as an expression of high regard by the Texas
	House of Representatives.
	Branch
	Craddick Gattis Miles
	Allen Geren Miller
	Alonzo Giddings Moreno
	Anchia Gonzales Morrison
	Anderson Gonzalez Toureilles Mowery
	Aycock Goolsby Murphy
	Bailey Guillen Naishtat
	Berman Haggerty Noriega
	Bohac Hamilton O'Day
	Bolton Hancock Oliveira
	Bonnen Hardcastle Olivo
	Branch Harless Orr
	Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Brazos Hartnett Otto
	Burnam Heflin Parker
	Callegari Hernandez Patrick
	Castro Herrero Paxton
	Chavez Hilderbran Pena
	Chisum Hill Phillips
	Christian Hochberg Pickett
	Cohen Hodge Pierson
	Coleman Homer Pitts
	Cook of Navarro Hopson Puente
	Cook of Colorado Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Corte Howard of Travis Raymond
	Crabb Hughes Riddle
	Creighton Isett Ritter
	Crownover Jackson Rodriguez
	Darby Jones Rose
	Davis of Harris Keffer Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Parker Smith of Harris
	Delisi King of Taylor Smithee
	Deshotel King of Zavala Solomons
	Driver Kolkhorst Strama
	Dukes Krusee Straus
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Latham Talton
	Eiland Laubenberg Taylor
	Eissler Leibowitz Thompson
	Elkins Lucio III Truitt
	England Macias Turner
	Escobar Madden Van Arsdale
	Farabee Mallory Caraway Vaught
	Farias Martinez Veasey
	Farrar Martinez Fischer Villarreal
	Flores McCall Vo
	Flynn McClendon West
	Frost McReynolds Woolley
	Gallego Menendez Zedler
	Garcia Merritt Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1454 was adopted by the House on April
	18, 2007, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House