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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a distinguished native son |
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with the death of Charles T. McDowell of Arlington on July 8, 2007; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 23, 1921, to Jesse Calvin and Alva |
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Lange McDowell, Charles Taylor McDowell was raised in San Saba; he |
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graduated from Texas A&M University in 1943 and attended officer |
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candidate school at Fort Benning, Georgia, before being |
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commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army; a |
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master parachutist, he fought in both the European and Pacific |
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theaters during World War II and later served in the occupational |
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forces in Japan; and |
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WHEREAS, An information and education officer as well as a |
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professor, director, and commandant of Tokyo Army College in the |
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late 1940s, Dr. McDowell also taught Russian language, history, |
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economics, geography, and political science in a classified joint |
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military/civilian intelligence agency in the 1950s before serving |
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as an instructor in Taiwan, Korea, and Hawaii; he continued his |
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studies through various defense intelligence programs and earned a |
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master's degree from Columbia University in 1953 and a doctorate |
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from Texas A&M in 1956; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. McDowell further served his country as an |
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intelligence officer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and worked |
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closely with the president of the United States to evaluate |
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military threats; he was a custodian of the "nuclear football," |
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utilized by presidents to authorize the use of nuclear weapons when |
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away from fixed command centers; moreover, he served as a |
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diplomatic courier and USSR specialist, as well as a foreign |
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service officer for the state department in the former Soviet |
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Union, Europe, Asia, and North Africa; and |
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WHEREAS, Eventually retiring from the military at the rank of |
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colonel, Dr. McDowell earned numerous honors for his notable tenure |
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in the armed forces, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Army |
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Commendation Medal, both with oak leaf cluster, and the Combat |
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Infantry Badge, along with medals recognizing service in World War |
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II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts; he was described by General |
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William C. Westmoreland as an outstanding officer; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. McDowell had an equally illustrious career in |
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civilian life, spending more than four decades, in total, at The |
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University of Texas at Arlington; he first joined the school in |
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1960, and after serving as senior area administrator for President |
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Lyndon B. Johnson's Job Corps program, he returned in 1966 as |
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assistant to the president of the university and then dean of |
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student life; a teacher of Russian, he became the chair of the |
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department of foreign languages and linguistics as well as the |
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founder and director of the Center for Post-Soviet and East |
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European Studies; and |
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WHEREAS, The first chair of the faculty senate at UT |
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Arlington, Dr. McDowell was reelected to that post six times; he |
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was an advisor to the Alpha Chi honor society and led annual summer |
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study abroad programs in Russia; he was recognized as an |
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outstanding teacher with awards from UT Arlington and its |
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chancellor's council, and he was inducted into the school's |
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military science hall of honor; after his death, generous donors |
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endowed a new center at the university in his memory, the Charles |
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T. McDowell Center for Critical Languages and Area Studies; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his life, Dr. Charles McDowell |
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met 10 U.S. presidents, traveled to Russia more than 50 times, and |
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ignited the curiosity and interest of countless young people, and |
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he will long be remembered for his notable contributions to the |
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state and nation; 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 Dr. Charles Taylor |
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McDowell and his exemplary record of service to the people of Texas |
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and the United States. |
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Hilderbran |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1064 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on April 7, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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