H.R. No. 1022

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The State of Texas has lost an admired lawmaker, conservationist, and education advocate with the passing of former state senator Don Kennard on March 17, 2011, at the age of 81; and

WHEREAS, Born in Houston on May 6, 1929, Donley C. Kennard was the son of Don and Clayton "Honey" Kennard; his prowess on the Arlington Heights High School football team won him an athletic scholarship to North Texas State College, and he also attended Texas Christian University before completing his bachelor's degree in business administration at The University of Texas at Austin; and

WHEREAS, He began a successful campaign for a Fort Worth seat in the Texas House of Representatives during his senior year of college, declaring his intention "to represent all the people, not just the select few"; having served his constituents with great dedication from 1953 to 1963, he ran for the state senate and represented District 10 for another decade; Senator Kennard was senate president pro tempore during the 60th and 61st Texas Legislatures, and he gave generously of his time over the years as a mentor to his colleagues; and

WHEREAS, A fierce champion of public education, he served on the education committees in both chambers and helped secure initial funding for what would become Tarrant County College; he worked diligently to raise the profile of Arlington State College, which had sought to become a senior college for more than a decade, and his efforts culminated in a filibuster that lasted 29 hours and 22 minutes; he got the votes to make the school a four-year institution, and in 1996, the school, which had become The University of Texas at Arlington, named Senator Kennard to its new Walk of Fame; and

WHEREAS, This dynamic legislator demonstrated his commitment to working Texans in another filibuster designed to kill a proposal to extend the sales tax to food; strolling into the senate with a sack of groceries, he illustrated how much more fruits and vegetables would cost under the bill; Senator Kennard was a strong, progressive voice for civil rights, historic preservation, and environmental issues, and he brought his passion for those causes to the numerous committees on which he served; in addition, he chaired the Federal Relations, Public Health, and Parks and Recreation Committees, and he was vice chair of the Conservation and Reclamation and Parks and Wildlife Committees; and

WHEREAS, Also during his tenure, Senator Kennard filibustered to secure a one-cent portion of the per-pack cigarette tax to create a reliable revenue stream for the Parks and Wildlife Department; he borrowed a falcon from the Fort Worth Zoo to draw attention to this need, and his victory directed tens of millions of dollars to our state parks in the ensuing decades; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kennard worked between Texas legislative sessions in Washington, D.C., running the office of U.S. Congressman Jim Wright; on his return to private life, Senator Kennard established the Natural Areas Surveys with the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and served as its director; the research produced was instrumental in the preservation of Enchanted Rock, among other natural treasures; returning to Washington, he became a consultant for a public relations firm, and he was appointed to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission; and

WHEREAS, Married during his college years to his childhood sweetheart, the former Jackie Porterfield, Don Kennard became the proud father of a daughter, Karen; after the untimely passing of his first wife, he was fortunate enough to find love a second time with the former Mary Jo Williams, and he welcomed into his family her children, Eric and Paige; he eventually knew the joy of becoming "Grandpa Donnie" to six cherished grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Long a student of history, Senator Kennard moved to Charles Town, West Virginia, with his wife and restored the former home of a nephew of George Washington; moreover, the couple became co-owners of Indian Hot Springs, a historic site on the Rio Grande in Trans-Pecos, where Senator Kennard periodically hosted conservation and preservation forums for fellow legislators and clients; Senator and Mrs. Kennard moved to the Austin area in 2003 to be closer to their children and grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Through his determination to improve higher education and to preserve the natural beauty of the Lone Star State, Senator Kennard left an enduring legacy, and those who were privileged to share in the richness of his life will forever remember him as a man of vision, compassion, and conviction; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the memory of the Honorable Donley C. Kennard and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Mary Jo Kennard; to his children, Karen Gordon and her husband, Dr. Leo Gordon, Eric Austin Williams and his wife, Melanie Castro Williams, and Paige Williams Smith and her husband, Keith Smith; to his grandchildren, Daniel Gordon, Aimee, Jack, and Ethan Williams, and Vivian and Oliver Smith; 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 Senator Don Kennard.

Geren

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1022 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on March 24, 2011.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House