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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The 37-year career of Jack Loftis at the Houston |
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Chronicle is a long and noteworthy chapter in the history of Texas |
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journalism; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Hillsboro, Mr. Loftis started in the |
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newspaper business as a sportswriter at the Hillsboro Daily Mirror |
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in 1955, while he was still attending Baylor University in Waco; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from Baylor in 1957 with a |
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bachelor's degree in business administration, he worked several |
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jobs before returning to journalism to become the editor of the |
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Daily Mirror in 1962; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1965 he was hired as a copy editor at the Houston |
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Chronicle and was appointed editor of the Chronicle's Sunday Texas |
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Magazine in 1970; four years later, he was named the paper's |
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assistant managing editor and five years after that, the assistant |
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editor; and |
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WHEREAS, When the Hearst Corporation purchased the Chronicle |
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in 1987, Mr. Loftis was promoted to vice president and editor, and |
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in 1998 he became the editor and associate publisher; and |
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WHEREAS, During his 15 years as the Chronicle's editor, Mr. |
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Loftis was instrumental in the publication's growth and success; |
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the paper opened several new domestic and foreign bureaus and won |
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numerous local, state, and national journalism awards; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Loftis has likewise contributed to the field of |
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journalism through his involvement in various professional |
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organizations; he is a former president and board member of the |
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Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, which awarded him the |
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James Madison Award in 1999; he has also served as president of the |
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Newspapers Features Council, receiving its Jester Award in 1992, |
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and of the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, |
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which in 1997 named him as one of the first 10 inductees in the AASFE |
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Features Hall of Fame; a former director of the Texas Daily |
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Newspaper Association, he has served twice as a juror for the |
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Pulitzer Prize and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from |
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the Headliners Foundation of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, On his retirement from the Chronicle in 2002, Mr. |
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Loftis was named editor emeritus; and |
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WHEREAS, Jack Loftis has long been committed to his alma |
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mater; for eight years he was a member of the Baylor Alumni |
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Association Board of Directors and for three years a director of the |
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Baylor "B" Association; the school named him a distinguished |
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alumnus in 1988 and bestowed the Baylor Media Award on him in 1997; |
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in 2001 the university further honored this former Baylor baseball |
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player by naming the press box at Baylor Ballpark after him; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Loftis has also devoted himself to his community |
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by serving on the boards of the Houston READ Commission, Clean |
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Houston, the Houston Club, the Chronicle Goodfellows, the Crime |
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Stoppers of Houston, and the Cartoonists Society of America; even |
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in retirement he remains active, together with his wife, Beverly, |
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in the Lone Star Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis |
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Society, the Friends of West University Parks, and Citizens for |
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Animal Protection; and |
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WHEREAS, The many notable contributions of Jack Loftis to his |
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profession and to his community have greatly benefited his fellow |
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Texans; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Jack Loftis for his remarkable career in |
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journalism and for his civic engagement and extend best wishes to |
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him for continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Loftis as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |