SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 259

WHEREAS, Joe H. Reynolds has distinguished himself through his significant professional, military, and civic achievements, and his long and exemplary career as a lawyer and community leader have made him a notable figure in the State of Texas; and

WHEREAS, Born in Commerce in 1921, Joe Reynolds was educated at Southwestern University and then entered Baylor Law School; he set aside his studies to volunteer for the Marines during World War II, and he was among the brave troops who took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima; he repeated his valiant service during the Korean War, when he joined the Corps for a second time and fought in the famous Battle of Chosin Reservoir; and

WHEREAS, After completing his law studies in 1947 and graduating as the top student in his class, Mr. Reynolds became the assistant attorney general for the State of Texas; he left that post in 1949 to become a partner in Bracewell, Reynolds & Patterson but returned to duty in the Office of the Attorney General from 1957 to 1960, when he served as a special assistant to the attorney general, focusing on antitrust litigation; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Reynolds spent 17 years with his first law partnership, then joined Reynolds, Allen & Cook in 1966 and helped lead that firm for more than a quarter-century, stepping down in 1993; since that time, he has applied his legal expertise as an of counsel attorney for Andrews & Kurth L.L.P. and for Schwartz, Junell, Greenberg & Oathout L.L.P. in Houston; a highly successful trial lawyer, Mr. Reynolds is greatly respected by his peers; in 2001, he was selected as one of the five outstanding Texas lawyers who had practiced for 50 years or more, and he is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Texas Bar Foundation, and the Houston Bar Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Equally accomplished in his civic duties, Mr. Reynolds spent 16 years as a member of the board of regents for Texas A&M University, and his many contributions to the college were honored with the dedication of the Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building in College Station; he organized and chaired the board of visitors for the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and is a trustee of Houston Baptist University; in addition, a chair is named in his honor at The University of Texas; and

WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Joe H. Reynolds has proven himself an individual of great integrity and far-reaching abilities, and his legacy of service as a lawyer and citizen is deserving of the highest acclaim; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 80th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to Joe H. Reynolds for his notable professional and public accomplishments and extend to him best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Mr. Reynolds as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Patrick

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 21, 2007.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate