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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The certain knowledge of a life well-lived may |
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temper the sadness brought by the passing of William Grogan Lord of |
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Georgetown on January 13, 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lord was born in Hearne; after graduating from |
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Downey High School, he worked with Firestone Tire and Rubber |
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Company in San Antonio before moving to Georgetown in 1940 to |
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supervise the firm's sales in Central Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, His career was interrupted by the outbreak of World |
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War II, when he served his country as an artillery observation |
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pilot, earning a battlefield commission to the rank of first |
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lieutenant and both the Air Medal with clusters and the Purple Heart |
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for his heroism; and |
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WHEREAS, He returned to civilian life in 1945 and expanded |
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his business interests to include automobile financing, insurance, |
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banking, and a savings and loan association; he also founded a small |
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business investment company, Texas Capital Corporation, which |
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later became TeleCom Corporation; and |
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WHEREAS, Among his many notable ventures, Mr. Lord served as |
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senior chairman of the board of First Texas Bancorp, Inc., a |
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multibank holding company, advisory director of the Citizens State |
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Bank of Georgetown, a director of State Trust Company of |
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Georgetown, and a director of Georgetown Savings and Loan |
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Association; in addition, he led a number of Dallas-based |
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companies, serving as chairman of the board of Red Ball Motor |
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Freight, a director of Mercantile Texas Corporation, and a director |
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of Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc.; and |
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WHEREAS, This respected civic leader shared his wisdom and |
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expertise with the Texas Research League and the Texas |
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Philosophical Society; he became a member of the State Securities |
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Board of Texas in 1971 and served for more than a decade; elected |
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chair in 1975, he held the record of longest-serving member in the |
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body's history on his retirement eight years later; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years Mr. Lord was a dedicated supporter |
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of Southwestern University; he served with the institution's board |
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of trustees for 40 years and, with his wife, funded a complex of |
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townhouses for students, and in 1967, Southwestern recognized him |
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with an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters; and |
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WHEREAS, Those fortunate enough to have known William Lord |
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will long remember him not only as one of Georgetown's most |
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influential businessmen and philanthropists but also as a true |
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Texas gentleman; although he is greatly missed, his legacy lives on |
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in the immeasurable impact of his many contributions to the city of |
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Georgetown and this state; 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 special tribute to the life of William |
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Grogan Lord and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Betty; to his son, Roger and his wife, Kathy; |
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to his daughter, Sharon; to his grandchildren, Hunter, Shelley and |
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her husband, Todd, Summer, and Joseph; to his great-grandchildren, |
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Rylee and Brooke; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, |
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be 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 William |
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Grogan Lord. |
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Gattis |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1977 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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