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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family, friends, and colleagues are mourning the |
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loss of Lloyd Franklin Pitts of Dallas, who died on March 16, 2009, |
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at the age of 98; and |
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WHEREAS, Frank Pitts was born in Wesson, Mississippi, on |
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October 7, 1910, to Addie Mae Sandifer and John Loyd Pitts; after |
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graduating from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson in 1930, |
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he attended Northwestern University; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1935, Mr. Pitts married the former Mary Martha |
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McCann, and the couple shared a fulfilling life together for 58 |
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years, until Mrs. McCann's death in 1993; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Pitts began his working life with the Nu-Enamel |
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Paint Company of Chicago; from 1934 to 1937, he opened paint stores |
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for the company across Europe, and at the age of 29 he was made |
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president of the international company; his witnessing of the rise |
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of fascism in Italy and Germany during those years instilled in him |
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an intense love of the freedoms of his own nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to the United States, Mr. Pitts became an |
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independent oilman, and he was a leader in the petroleum and natural |
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gas industry for nearly 70 years; he founded the Pitts Oil Company, |
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an oil and gas exploration services firm that continues to this day; |
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for 12 years, he was also the chief executive officer of an |
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international geophysical company; over the course of his |
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remarkable career, he participated in the drilling of more than |
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3,000 wells; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Pitts benefited his professional community |
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through his work as president of the Texas Independent Producers |
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and Royalty Owners Association for two terms and as chair of the |
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Industry Forum of the American Petroleum Institute; he served under |
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every secretary of the Department of Energy since 1977 as a member |
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of the National Petroleum Council, and he was appointed to the |
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Natural Gas Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of |
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America and to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission; he was |
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also a dynamic representative of the industry before state and |
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national governmental bodies; and |
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WHEREAS, This outstanding entrepreneur was often honored for |
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his contributions to the petroleum industry; he received the Chief |
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Roughneck Award from the IPAA, the Pioneer of the Year Award from |
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the Texas Railroad Commission, the Legend Award from the Texas |
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Alliance of Energy Producers, the Mr. TIPRO Award, and the John |
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Rogers Award from the Southwestern Legal Foundation, among many |
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others; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Pitts contributed generously to his community as |
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well; he helped found and served as chair of the Dallas Council on |
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World Affairs, earning the council's H. Neil Mallon Award for |
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Distinguished Civic Service; he played a role in the formation of |
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the Dallas Opera, and he served as chair and executive committee |
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member of the Baylor University Medical Foundation and as a member |
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of the board of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist |
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University; moreover, he endowed four SMU presidential |
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scholarships, a scholars fund, and a lecture series on oil and gas; |
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in addition, Mr. Pitts was president of the Park Cities Rotary Club, |
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a member of the Dallas Citizens Council, and a longtime member and |
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deacon of Park Cities Baptist Church; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout a full and productive life, Frank Pitts |
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dedicated himself to his family, his career, and his community, and |
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the loved ones he leaves behind can take great pride in his |
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remarkable legacy; 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 Lloyd Franklin Pitts |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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daughter, Linda, and her husband, William A. Custard; to his |
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grandchildren, W. Allen Custard III and his wife, Mason, Martha E. |
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Custard, Laura Custard Hurt and her husband, G. Ellison Hurt III; to |
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his brother, Troy N. Pitts; to his sister-in-law, Ida M. Olson; to |
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his cousin, Dr. Charles L. Lloyd, Jr., and his wife, Sandy; to his |
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four great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; |
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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 honor of Lloyd |
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Franklin Pitts. |