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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an accomplished educator and |
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public servant with the passing of Dr. John D. Moseley on March 11, |
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2009, at the age of 93; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Moseley distinguished himself in a range of |
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endeavors, and his talents were of direct benefit to the Texas |
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Legislature during his tenure as the first executive director of |
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the Texas Legislative Council; he went on to serve as president of |
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Austin College for 25 years, skillfully guiding its growth and |
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enhancing its reputation as a respected and influential place of |
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learning; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Greenville in 1915, John Moseley was active |
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in the Presbyterian Youth Council in the 1930s and met his future |
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wife, Sara Bernice Honea, while a member of that organization; he |
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completed his undergraduate studies at East Texas State Teachers |
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College and earned a doctor of law degree and a master's degree in |
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public administration from The University of Texas at Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Initially pursuing a career in government service, |
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Dr. Moseley worked for the State of Texas and then for several |
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federal agencies in Texas and in Washington, D.C., including the |
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Office of Price Administration and the Bureau of the Budget in the |
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Executive Office of the President of the United States; in October |
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1950, he was asked to head up the recently formed Texas Legislative |
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Council; in that capacity, he helped lay the groundwork for the |
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vital support services that the council continues to provide to the |
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members of the legislature; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Moseley was hired as the president of Austin |
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College in 1953, and he immediately undertook a range of reforms |
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that brought more students to the Sherman campus, put the college's |
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finances on a sound footing, and doubled the number of campus |
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buildings in the course of a single decade; in academics, he |
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pioneered changes to the curriculum that promoted |
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interdisciplinary and international studies, and he oversaw the |
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establishment of the graduate-level Austin Teacher Program in the |
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latter part of his tenure; Dr. Moseley stepped down as president in |
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1978 but continued to serve as chancellor until 1981, and he |
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remained deeply involved in the college community for the rest of |
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his life; and |
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WHEREAS, This respected educator was the recipient of a long |
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list of honorary degrees and other prestigious awards, including |
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the Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal from the Association of Texas Colleges |
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and Universities and the Outstanding Service to Higher Education |
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Award from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); moreover, his |
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prominence among college administrators was reflected in the many |
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leadership roles he held in state and national educational |
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organizations, and he was likewise a central figure in a number of |
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civic groups in the Sherman area; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his life, John Moseley devoted himself to |
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serving others, and his exemplary work in the field of higher |
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education and as a member of state and federal government will be |
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remembered and admired long into the future; 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 Dr. John D. Moseley |
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and extend deepest condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife of 68 years, Sara Bernice Moseley; to their three children, |
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Sara Caroline Moseley, John Dean Moseley, Jr., and Alice Butler, |
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and to Rebecca Moseley Gafford and her husband, Ron; and, be it |
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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 Dr. John D. |
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Moseley. |
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Phillips |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 991 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 24, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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