82R20606 JEN-D

By: Branch H.C.R. No. 9

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.