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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Texas aviation pioneer and entrepreneur Henry |
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Leland Snow of Wichita Falls passed away on February 20, 2011, at |
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the age of 80; and |
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WHEREAS, Leland Snow was born in Brownsville on May 31, 1930, |
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to Henry Evans Snow and Carrie Beth Sewell Snow; raised in the Rio |
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Grande Valley, he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering at |
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Texas A&M University in 1952; and |
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WHEREAS, Widely regarded as the creator of the modern |
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crop-dusting airplane, Mr. Snow designed and constructed his first |
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agricultural aircraft, the S-1, in 1951; he flew the plane himself |
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on crop-dusting jobs in Texas and Nicaragua before founding Snow |
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Aeronautical in 1955; a few years later, he opened a factory in |
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Olney, where he manufactured the next generation of crop dusters, |
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the S-2A and S-2B; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Snow sold his company to Rockwell-Standard in |
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1965, but stayed on as vice president of the Aero Commander division |
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and helped to design the Thrush aircraft; he left Rockwell in 1972 |
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to start Air Tractor, eventually opening a new factory in Olney; |
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today, Air Tractors are used the world over for crop dusting, |
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firefighting, cleaning up oil spills, and more; president of the |
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company until his death, Mr. Snow also remained active in |
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engineering; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed businessman received many awards and |
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recognitions over the course of his illustrious career; he was |
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inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000, and in 2005, |
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Air Tractor earned the International Torch Award for Marketplace |
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Ethics from the Better Business Bureau; he contributed generously |
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to the National Agricultural Aviation Association, in particular to |
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its pilot safety and drift minimization programs; and |
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WHEREAS, Among Mr. Snow's many interests were classical |
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music, playing the piano, and running; he supported the Wichita |
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Falls Symphony Orchestra, as well as local arts, and he |
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participated in three marathons, including the famous New York City |
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Marathon, after the age of 65; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Snow enjoyed the love |
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and support of his wife, the former Nancy Bacon, whom he married in |
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1946; together they were blessed with two daughters, Kara and |
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Kristin, as well as two grandchildren, Brennan and Elisabeth; and |
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WHEREAS, Leland Snow will long be remembered, not only for |
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his remarkable innovations in aviation and his contributions to his |
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community, but also for the kindness, determination, and charity |
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with which he lived his life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Henry Leland Snow |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Nancy Snow; to his daughters, Kara East and Kristin Edwards |
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and her husband, Trevor; to his grandchildren, Brennan Edwards and |
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Elisabeth East; to his sister, Marihelen Snow; to his |
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brother-in-law, John Bacon, and his wife, Patricia; to his nephews, |
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Conan McCarty, Kevin McCarty and his wife, Margaret, John Charles |
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Bacon, Jr., and his wife, Paige, and John Franklin Bacon; and to his |
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other relatives and friends; 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 memory of Leland |
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Snow. |