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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Wichita Falls have lost a greatly |
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admired citizen with the passing of publisher and community leader |
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James D. Lonergan on April 29, 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on December 20, 1925, in Omaha, Mr. Lonergan |
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graduated from the University of Nebraska, where he majored in |
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journalism and economics; from 1953 to 1962, he worked in newspaper |
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management with Bolton Publications, and through the years, served |
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as vice president and publisher of various papers in Ohio including |
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The Journal, the Dover, the Times-Reporter, and the Lake County |
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News-Herald, all part of Horvitz Newspapers; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lonergan joined Harte-Hanks as a newspaper group |
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president and corporate vice president in 1980, and within months |
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he was made president and publisher of the Times Record News, a |
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position he held until his retirement in 1994; he soon thereafter |
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established and operated Lonergan Media Consulting Company; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lonergan generously shared his expertise with |
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his professional community; a mentor to younger journalists, he |
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served as chair of the Journalism in Education Committee of the |
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Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and helped define |
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accreditation standards for college journalism departments; he |
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also served on the board of directors for Horvitz and Northwest |
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Media; and |
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WHEREAS, An active member of the Wichita Falls community, Mr. |
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Lonergan served on the boards of the Salvation Army, the American |
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Red Cross, the Clean City Commission, the County Tax Appraisal |
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Appeals Board, and the West Texas Chamber of Commerce; he was a |
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member of the Wichita Falls Museum advisory board and the board of |
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governors of the Wichita Falls Country Club, and he was |
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instrumental in the creation of the Times Charities, through which |
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the Times Record News makes public donations to local nonprofit |
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agencies; moreover, Mr. Lonergan is credited with building support |
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for a multipurpose events center and the Allred Unit of the state |
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prison system; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lonergan was a gifted storyteller and an avid |
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golfer; he enjoyed 40 years of marriage to his first wife, the |
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former Jean Gass, and they were blessed with four sons; after her |
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death, Mr. Lonergan was fortunate enough to find love again, and he |
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married Nancy Spalding, with whom he shared nearly two decades; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his contributions to his community, James |
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Lonergan made a lasting difference in the lives of others, and his |
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dedication to his profession and to his fellow residents of Wichita |
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Falls will long be remembered with great admiration and |
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appreciation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of James D. Lonergan and |
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offer condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Nancy |
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Spalding; to his children, David, Sean, Brian, and Matt Lonergan, |
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Jan Stahler, Diane Osborne, and Christopher Spalding; to his |
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grandchildren, Seamus, Brian, Devin, Tim, James, Micael, Paige, |
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Heather, Drew, Katie, Colleen, Brooke, Morgan, Cash, Robert, |
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Lauren, and Brian; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of James |
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Lonergan. |
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Farabee |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1966 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 18, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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