H.R. No. 1276

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Across this state and nation, people who wage the
	fight for social justice are mourning the loss of Frederick Martin
	Baron of Dallas, who passed away on October 30, 2008, at the age of
	61; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1947, Mr. Baron moved
	to Smithville when he was 15; an outstanding student and football
	star in high school, he went on to attend The University of Texas at
	Austin, where he earned a B.A. in 1968 and a J.D. in 1971; and
	WHEREAS, Inspired by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, Mr. Baron
	went to work after law school at the Dallas-based firm of Mullinax,
	Wells, Mauzy & Baab, which represented labor unions and union
	workers; in 1974, he filed a major case concerning asbestos
	exposure at an East Texas plant, a suit that eventually resulted in
	an award of $20 million and that helped establish his reputation as
	an able and tenacious attorney; Mr. Baron formed his own firm, now
	known as Baron & Budd, in 1977 to represent victims of occupational
	diseases and industrial pollution; over the course of a more than
	30-year career, his formidable skills and passionate engagement
	would make him a national leader in the field of asbestos and other
	toxic-tort litigation; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Baron's commitment to the cause of worker and
	consumer safety was evident, as well, in his professional
	affiliations; he cofounded Trial Lawyers for Public Justice in 1982
	and served as president of that group from 1997 to 1998; other
	organizations to benefit from his involvement were the Association
	of Trial Lawyers of America, which he served as president, and the
	American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, of which he was a
	founding board member; in addition, he was a staunch supporter of
	Public Citizen and People for the American Way; and
	WHEREAS, Fred Baron stepped down from his firm in December
	2002 to focus his efforts on politics and charitable causes; he
	played a major role in raising funds for the Kerry/Edwards ticket in
	2004, and he served as national finance chair for John Edwards in
	both of his runs for the presidency; in 2005, Mr. Baron founded the
	Texas Democratic Trust, which has greatly assisted the state's
	Democratic Party; and
	WHEREAS, Together with his wife, Lisa Blue-Baron, Fred Baron
	created the Baron and Blue Foundation, which works with area
	organizations to eliminate homelessness and address the needs of
	the underserved; the couple also gave over the first floor of their
	home to religious, philanthropic, and cultural organizations,
	welcoming their fund-raisers and other events; the depth of Mr.
	Baron's empathy for those in distress was demonstrated yet again in
	the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when he spent many days at Reunion
	Arena taking food and other supplies to the refugees there,
	listening to their stories, and helping them in whatever way he
	could; and
	WHEREAS, The recipient of myriad accolades, this
	distinguished Texan was named a "Legal Legend" by Texas Lawyer,
	designated one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S." by
	the National Law Journal, and presented with an Outstanding Service
	Award by the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law at
	The University of Texas School of Law; in 2001, his alma mater
	established the Frederick M. Baron Chair in Law in recognition of
	his contributions to the school and his remarkable accomplishments;
	and
	WHEREAS, The impact of Fred Baron's life extended far and
	wide; he fought relentlessly for the safety of ordinary citizens,
	gave abundantly of his resources in behalf of others, and sought to
	ensure that government would also serve those less fortunate, and
	he will indeed be missed; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Frederick Martin
	Baron and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
	his wife, Lisa Blue-Baron; to his children, Andrew Baron, Courtney
	Baron and her husband, Brad Singer, and Alessandra, Caroline, and
	Nathalie Baron; to his granddaughter, Liza; to his brother, Robert
	Baron, and his sister, Joan Baron; and to his other relatives and
	many friends; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Frederick
	Martin Baron.
	Hodge
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1276 was unanimously adopted by a
	rising vote of the House on April 14, 2009.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House