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  H.C.R. No. 9
 
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The Honorable Jack Pope, a retired chief justice of
  the Texas Supreme Court who has rendered immeasurable service to
  the Lone Star State, is celebrating his 98th birthday on April 18,
  2011; and
         WHEREAS, This remarkable milestone signifies the beginning
  of the ninth year of the ninth decade of Chief Justice Pope's
  accomplished life; and
         WHEREAS, Born and raised in Abilene, Chief Justice Pope knew
  from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a lawyer; as a youth,
  he also showed the passion for learning that later marked his
  distinguished career and that would make him an early proponent of
  judicial education in Texas; a voracious reader, he found
  inspiration in such figures as the Roman historian Tacitus and
  orator Cicero and in the American legal philosophers Roscoe Pound
  and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.; and
         WHEREAS, After graduating from Abilene High School in 1930,
  Jack Pope attended Abilene Christian College, where he majored in
  speech, earned letters as a member of the debate and tennis teams,
  and served as president of the junior class and the student
  association; subsequently, at The University of Texas School of
  Law, he served as editor of the Texas Law Review; and
         WHEREAS, Licensed by the bar in 1937, Chief Justice Pope
  moved to Corpus Christi and joined the firm of his uncle, former
  state representative Walter E. Pope; he quickly gained wide-ranging
  experience in civil and criminal law and in New Deal-era labor and
  transportation regulatory law; and
         WHEREAS, Though he was exempt from military service in World
  War II because he was the father of two young children, Chief
  Justice Pope enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1944 and served
  stateside for the next two years; discharged in 1946, he returned to
  the practice of law but later that year received an appointment as
  judge of the 94th District Court and became, at the age of 33, the
  youngest district judge then serving in Texas; and
         WHEREAS, In 1950, Chief Justice Pope won the first of three
  consecutive terms on the Court of Civil Appeals in San Antonio;
  during his tenure, he issued a landmark ruling concerning the
  Spanish roots of Texas water law, establishing a precedent that
  continues to guide jurists to the present day; and
         WHEREAS, Elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1964, Chief
  Justice Pope helped to draft significant rulings on property rights
  and judicial and procedural reform during his years as an associate
  justice; in 1982, Governor Bill Clements appointed him to the post
  of chief justice, an office he held until his retirement in 1985;
  his tenure in that post was marked by the elimination of double
  appeals and by other important reforms in court administration; at
  the time he returned to private life, Chief Justice Pope's
  cumulative service on the bench in trial and appellate courts made
  him the longest-serving judge in the history of the Texas Supreme
  Court; and
         WHEREAS, Known for the lucidity of his thought and writing,
  he published more than 1,000 judicial opinions and over 70
  law-related articles during the course of his career; and
         WHEREAS, Since stepping down from the bench some 25 years
  ago, Chief Justice Pope has continued to lead an active life; he has
  served as president of the Christian Chronicle National Council, an
  advisory body created to serve the international newspaper of the
  Churches of Christ, coedited a volume about his ancestor John
  Berry, a notable Texas pioneer, and cofounded the Texas Supreme
  Court Historical Society, which has named him chair emeritus; an
  avid walker who is well-known among his neighbors for his habitual
  jaunts, Chief Justice Pope was featured by an Austin television
  station as he trained to walk 9.6 miles in celebration of his 96th
  birthday, stretching to reach his toes with an ease that would make
  a teenage athlete envious; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope credits Abilene Christian
  University with providing an essential foundation for his success
  in life, and in return for the invaluable lessons he learned there,
  he has been one of that school's staunchest supporters; he joined
  the ACU Board of Trustees in 1954 and has served on the senior board
  since 1983; and
         WHEREAS, In tribute to its esteemed graduate, ACU has
  conferred on Chief Justice Pope its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
  award, as well as its Change the World award; moreover, since 1989,
  the school has bestowed scholarships on outstanding students who
  are intending to pursue a career in public service, designating
  them as Jack Pope Fellows; and
         WHEREAS, Another institution that has benefited from Chief
  Justice Pope's active involvement is the State Law Library, which
  was created as a separate state agency in 1971 largely through his
  efforts; Chief Justice Pope serves as a member emeritus of the
  Friends of the State Law Library Board of Directors, and the Friends
  have recognized him and another former chief justice, the late Joe
  Greenhill, with the establishment of the Greenhill-Pope Law Book
  Fund; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope is the recipient of four honorary
  degrees and countless other accolades; in 2009, the Texas Center
  for Legal Ethics presented him with its first Chief Justice Jack
  Pope Professionalism Award, and in 2010, the judicial section of
  the State Bar of Texas honored him with its inaugural Judicial
  Lifetime Achievement Award; and
         WHEREAS, From their marriage in 1938 until her passing in
  2004, Jack Pope and his wife, Allene, shared a richly rewarding
  union; their family today includes two sons, Allen and Jackson
  Pope, two grandsons, Drew and Ryan Pope, and two
  great-grandchildren, Dylan and Peyton Locke; and
         WHEREAS, Hailed for his intellect and integrity, Chief
  Justice Pope has contributed significantly to jurisprudence in the
  State of Texas, and it is indeed a privilege to join in wishing him
  well on this special day; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby congratulate the Honorable Jack Pope on the joyous occasion
  of his 98th birthday and extend to him profound appreciation for his
  exemplary public service; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Chief Justice Pope as an expression of high regard by
  the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.
 
  Branch
 
 
Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison
 
Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr.
 
Allen Gooden Murphy
 
Alonzo Guillen Naishtat
 
Alvarado Gutierrez Nash
 
Anchia Hamilton Oliveira
 
Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr
 
Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto
 
Aycock Harless Parker
 
Beck Harper-Brown Patrick
 
Berman Hartnett Paxton
 
Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena
 
Bonnen Hilderbran Perry
 
Branch Hochberg Phillips
 
Brown Hopson Pickett
 
Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts
 
Burnam Howard of Travis Price
 
Button Huberty Quintanilla
 
Cain Hughes Raymond
 
Callegari Hunter Reynolds
 
Carter Isaac Riddle
 
Castro Jackson Ritter
 
Chisum Johnson Rodriguez
 
Christian Keffer Schwertner
 
Coleman King of Parker Scott
 
Cook King of Taylor Sheets
 
Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield
 
Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton
 
Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson
 
Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris
 
Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant
 
J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee
 
S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons
 
Deshotel Lavender Strama
 
Driver Legler Taylor of Collin
 
Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston
 
Dutton Lozano Thompson
 
Eiland Lucio III Torres
 
Eissler Lyne Truitt
 
Elkins Madden Turner
 
Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
 
Farrar Margo Villarreal
 
Fletcher Marquez Vo
 
Flynn Martinez Walle
 
Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber
 
Gallego McClendon White
 
Garza Menendez Woolley
 
Geren Miles Workman
 
Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler
 
Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 9 was adopted by the House on April
  18, 2011, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 9 was adopted by the Senate on May 3,
  2011, by a viva-voce vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor