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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends were deeply saddened by the loss |
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of business and community leader William Arnold McMinn, Jr., of |
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Houston, who passed away on April 11, 2011, at the age of 80; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on July 29, 1930, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, |
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to William and Mary McMinn, Bill McMinn graduated from high school |
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in 1948 and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Vanderbilt |
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University in 1952; he began his career as a research chemist at |
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Monsanto Chemical in Texas City that same year and went on to hold |
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executive positions at a number of firms in the petrochemical |
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industry, living in Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and |
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Pennsylvania before returning to Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. McMinn joined the Sterling Group in Houston in |
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1986, became president of Cain Chemical the following year, and |
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subsequently served as chair of the Arcadian Corporation; in 1997, |
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he assumed the role of chair of Texas Petrochemicals, and he led |
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that company for six years; he also served on several boards in the |
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chemical, nanotechnology, and biotechnology industries and was a |
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senior founding principal of the Legacy Equity Group; and |
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WHEREAS, A recipient of the Petrochemical Heritage Award in |
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2004 for his contributions to the field, Mr. McMinn invested in the |
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biotechnology, nanotechnology, biopharmaceutical, and private |
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space industries; he spent nearly 40 years in cattle ranching, |
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owning property in Brenham, Johnson City, McDade, and Gustine, and |
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he participated in the 1989 Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Actively engaged in the Texas political process, Mr. |
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McMinn chaired the board of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and |
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served on the board of the Texas Institute for Education Reform and |
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the Associated Republicans of Texas, which he helped to found; |
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moreover, he was appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2005 to the |
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Texas Tax Reform Commission; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. McMinn was a member of the Vanderbilt University |
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Board of Trustees for eight years and a lifetime member of the |
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school's College Cabinet and Chancellor's Council; he received a |
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Distinguished Alumni award from Vanderbilt in 1998 and an honorary |
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doctorate from Abilene Christian University in 2001; in addition, |
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he was a member of the Brookwood Community Advisory Board for more |
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than two decades; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. McMinn enjoyed the love |
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and support of his wife, Nancy, whom he met in Nashville while |
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attending college; the couple shared more than 55 years together |
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and welcomed four treasured children, William, Mary, Nancy, and |
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Patricia, as well as five grandchildren, before her passing in |
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2007; Mr. and Mrs. McMinn also endowed several university honorary |
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scholarships and chairs; and |
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WHEREAS, A successful business executive and an engaged |
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citizen, Bill McMinn drew people to him with his warmth, good humor, |
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and enthusiasm; with interests ranging from history to astronomy to |
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physics, he never quit learning and embraced life to the fullest, |
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making countless friends along the way; 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 William Arnold |
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McMinn, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his children, William A. McMinn III and his wife, Marie, |
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Mary M. Ogden, Nancy M. Beasley and her husband, Stephen, and |
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Patricia C. McMinn; to his grandchildren, Michael McMinn, Christina |
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Snyder and her husband, Dyric, Tommy Ogden and his wife, |
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Marguerite, Brad Beasley, and Kate Beasley; to his sisters, |
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Caroline Murphy and Sister Mary Magdalen; to his four |
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great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, |
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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 Bill |
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McMinn. |
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Woolley |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1655 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 12, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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