H.R. No. 2280

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Over the course of a long and distinguished career, Richard E. Dwelle has rendered exceptional service to this state and nation; and

WHEREAS, Raised in Dallas, Dick Dwelle attended Rice University, where he played on the football team and received All-Southwest Conference honors as a tailback in 1942; his prowess on the gridiron subsequently earned him induction into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Shortly before completing his bachelor's degree in 1943, Mr. Dwelle joined the U.S. Army Reserve; he entered active duty that June, attended Tank Destroyer Officer Candidate School, and received his commission as a second lieutenant the following year; on his arrival in Europe in December 1944, he was assigned as a forward observer with the mortar platoon in M Company, 329th Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division; he served during the Battle of the Bulge, the remainder of the Rhineland Campaign, and the Central Europe Campaign and also saw duty with the 42nd Infantry Division; promoted to first lieutenant, he led an army company in Germany and Austria after the war ended; he was discharged from active duty in the late spring of 1946, whereupon he joined the reserve with the rank of captain, and he remained in the reserve for nearly a decade; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Dwelle exchanged wedding vows with the former Peggy Donosky on December 12, 1942, and they became the parents of two children, Donna and Dan; in 1946, he and his family moved to Kermit, where he embarked on his new duties as copublisher of the Winkler County News; three years later, he purchased the Athens Daily Review from his father-in-law, and he continued as publisher of that paper until selling it in 1986; in the years following, he remained involved with the Daily Review as a consultant to the new owner and as an editorial writer; and

WHEREAS, During his long career in the newspaper business, Mr. Dwelle also co-owned the Marlin Daily Democrat and Marlin Weekly Democrat, the Wink Bulletin, the Malakoff News, and the Cedar Creek Pilot, as well as several papers in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has played an active role in trade organizations, serving as a board member of the Texas Press Association and Texas Daily Newspaper Association and as president of the North and East Texas Press Association; in 1980, the TDNA conferred on him the Texas Newspaper Leader of the Year award; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Dwelle has also given generously of his time and talents to a number of local organizations; among the groups to benefit from his involvement have been the Athens Literacy Group and the Boy Scouts of America, which he has served as a board member and as a district chair, respectively; he currently sits on the board of the Athens Public Education Foundation; for his myriad contributions in the community's behalf, he was recognized as Athens Citizen of the Year in 1971; more recently, in February 2010, the APEF named Dick and Peggy Dwelle as King and Queen of its Second Chance Prom, a fund-raiser gala; and

WHEREAS, For nearly 70 years, Dick Dwelle has benefited others through his leadership and civic engagement, and he may indeed take pride in his outstanding record of achievement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby honor Richard E. "Dick" Dwelle for his exemplary service to this country and to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Dwelle as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

Gooden

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 2280 was adopted by the House on May 30, 2011, by a non-record vote.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House