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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Norman F. Porter, Sr., has contributed to our |
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knowledge of the Lone Star State and its rich heritage through his |
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authorship of Atascosa County History through 1912; and |
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WHEREAS, Published in 2007, Atascosa County History has |
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received excellent reviews for its recounting of the compelling |
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story of this South Texas county; Mr. Porter used a vast number of |
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primary sources to explore such events as the bitter fight that |
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erupted in 1910 over the relocation of the county seat, requiring |
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the dispatch of two Texas Rangers to keep the peace among quarreling |
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factions; moreover, the book's nearly 400 pages include numerous |
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previously unpublished images; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Ruby and Wilber Porter, Norman Porter was |
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born in North Pleasanton on March 4, 1933, and grew up in Atascosa |
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County; he attended Southwest Texas State College on a football |
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scholarship and served his country in the U.S. Army for three years |
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before earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in education; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Porter began his 35-year career at Pleasanton |
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Junior High School in 1956; after coaching and teaching history, he |
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became an administrator and retired as principal of the junior |
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high; he was named Man of the Year in 1990 by the Pleasanton Chamber |
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of Commerce and was inducted into the Pleasanton High School |
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Athletic Hall of Fame; since his retirement, he has traveled to |
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antique shows in other states as a postcard dealer and has assembled |
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an extensive personal collection of cards featuring vintage |
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photographs of small South Texas towns; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2005, Mr. Porter was named Senior Citizen of the |
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Year by the chamber of commerce for his noteworthy achievements; he |
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has done extensive research on the San Antonio, Uvalde, and Gulf |
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Railroad and served as president of the Longhorn Museum Society for |
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10 years, helping to restore the SAU&G Railroad Depot and obtain a |
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Union Pacific caboose for exhibition; in addition, he is a member of |
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the Texas State Historical Association, and he has served as chair |
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of the county historical commission, president of the Pleasanton |
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Cemetery Association, and vice president of the 2006 Atascosa |
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Sesquicentennial Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed author and historian gives |
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informative talks to civic clubs and elementary school students and |
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has been instrumental in obtaining Texas Historical Markers for |
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such sites as the graves of former Texas Rangers; in addition, he |
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has helped many visitors to Pleasanton locate the burial places of |
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their ancestors; in his myriad endeavors, he enjoys the love and |
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support of his wife, Iris Porter, and their son, Norman, |
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daughter-in-law, Amy, and four grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Norman Porter has played a vital role in chronicling |
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and preserving the fascinating history of Atascosa County in his |
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comprehensive book as well as through his years of dedicated |
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service to historical organizations; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Norman F. Porter, Sr., on the |
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publication of Atascosa County History through 1912 and commend him |
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for his many contributions to historical preservation and |
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education; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Porter as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |