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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Plano lost an admired civic leader with |
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the passing of former mayor James Wyatt Edwards on May 13, 2011, at |
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the age of 73; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on September 6, 1937, Jim Edwards was the son of |
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Margaret and Wyatt Edwards; he served two terms as mayor beginning |
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in 1978 and worked with H. Ross Perot to bring the headquarters of |
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EDS, JC Penney, and Frito-Lay to Plano; in addition, he played key |
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roles in the approval of Collin Creek Mall, the extension of the |
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Dallas North Tollway, and the securing of funds for the Bush |
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Tollway; he was the first chair of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit |
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board and was a founding board member of the Collin County Community |
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College District; moreover, he served as director of external |
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relations for the nonprofit organization Heart of a Champion and |
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held numerous other leadership roles; his most recent initiative, |
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the "Changing Hearts Project," benefited combat veterans and their |
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families; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Edwards enjoyed a long career in higher |
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education administration; early in his career, he headed the |
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accounting department at Texas Christian University, and he went on |
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to become executive vice president of Dallas Baptist University, |
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head of the MBA program at Southern Methodist University, and |
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president and chancellor of William Carey College in Hattiesburg, |
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Mississippi; he was active in politics as well, working on the |
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George W. Bush campaign in 2000 and the Mike Huckabee campaign in |
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2008, and he was a delegate to the 2008 Republican National |
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Convention; and |
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WHEREAS, Jim Edwards was dedicated to the betterment of his |
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community, and although he will be deeply missed, he leaves behind a |
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legacy of achievement that his loved ones can remember with pride; |
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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 James Wyatt Edwards |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife of 52 years, Imogene Edwards; to his children, Randy Edwards |
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and his wife, Leah, Jamye Ferguson and her husband, Lee, and Allison |
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Travis and her husband, Mike; to his six grandchildren, Daniel, |
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Abby, and Sarah Ferguson, Audrey and Natalie Edwards, and Grace |
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Travis; to his sister, Janice Knox, and her husband, Sandy; to his |
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brother, Pat Edwards, and his wife, Nancy; to his 15 nieces and |
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nephews; and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it |
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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 James Wyatt |
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Edwards. |
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Madden |
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Laubenberg |
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Taylor of Collin |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2175 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 26, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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