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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost an admired athlete, coach, |
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and youth development leader with the passing of former Olympic |
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swimmer Tex Julian Robertson on August 27, 2007, at the age of 98; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Tex Robertson was born in Sweetwater on April 23, |
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1909, to Frank G. Robertson and Nancy Emerson Robertson; as a boy, |
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he learned to swim in a flooded creek and was known to practice his |
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aquatic skills in a horse trough; and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of Sweetwater High School, Mr. Robertson |
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attended the University of Southern California and Los Angeles |
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Junior College, and he received a bachelor of arts degree from the |
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University of Michigan and a bachelor of science degree from The |
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University of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Robertson demonstrated his impressive swimming |
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skills at the University of Michigan, where he won Big 10 and NCAA |
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championships, and he was a member of the 1932 United States Olympic |
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Team; from the mid-1930s to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1950, he |
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coached swimming at The University of Texas, where he led the UT |
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team to the Southwest Conference championship in each of the 13 |
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seasons that he served as coach; and |
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WHEREAS, During World War II, he interrupted his coaching |
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career to serve in the United States Navy as a swimming instructor |
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and a trainer of underwater demolition teams; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1939, Mr. Robertson married Pat Hudson, and |
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together they founded Camp Longhorn; the summer camp began with one |
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guest and 17 counselors but grew steadily through the years to |
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become a well-known and well-loved Texas institution; today, it |
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continues to host more than 4,000 campers each summer at two |
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locations; Mr. Robertson also played an important role in founding |
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the Camping Association for Mutual Progress to promote youth |
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camping in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his life, he was an influential swimming |
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advocate, founding the organizations Working Exes for Texas |
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Swimming and Texas Age Group Swimming and actively supporting the |
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growth of the sport at the high school level; for his efforts as an |
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athlete, coach, and swimming ambassador, he was inducted into the |
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Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1965 and received the Gold Medallion Award |
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from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Robertson won national and international titles |
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in Masters Swimming competitions and continued to engage in his |
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favorite sport well into his 90s; in 2007, he was recognized with |
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the Texas Masters Swimming Lifetime Achievement Award; and |
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WHEREAS, This energetic and caring man was also active in the |
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life of his community; he was instrumental in the creation of a |
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range of organizations and events, including the Burnet Community |
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Center, the Honor Citizen Program, and Citizens of Burnet Schools; |
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he was honored by the Lower Colorado River Authority in 1998 with |
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his induction into the LCRA Walk of Honor; and |
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WHEREAS, In the course of the many years that he lived in the |
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Lone Star State, Tex Robertson promoted the joys and rewards of |
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aquatic exercise and the outdoors, and he played an important role |
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in the growth of competitive swimming; he will be deeply missed, but |
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he will live on in the fond memories of the generations of swimmers |
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and campers whose lives he enriched; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Tex Julian Robertson |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife of 67 years, Pat Robertson; to his sons, John Robertson and his |
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wife, Donna, Robby Robertson and his wife, Deidra, and Bill |
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Robertson and his wife, Carol; to his daughters, Sally Lucksinger |
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and Nancy Manning and her husband, Bobby; to his 18 grandchildren |
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and four great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and |
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friends; and, 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 Tex Julian |
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Robertson. |