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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Admired newspaperman, philanthropist, and civic |
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leader Edward H. Harte passed away on May 18, 2011, at the age of 88; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Pilot Grove, Missouri, Ed Harte was raised |
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in San Angelo and learned the newspaper business from the ground up |
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at the San Angelo Standard-Times, which had been purchased by his |
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father in 1920; Mr. Harte began working as a switchboard operator |
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and earned his stripes as a reporter before rising through the |
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newsroom ranks to become publisher of the Corpus Christi |
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Caller-Times in 1962; a brilliant journalist and student of Mexican |
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politics, he created a popular Sunday column providing unique |
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insights into current events in Mexico and continued to write it |
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even after his retirement in 1987; Mr. Harte helped build his |
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family's media empire and served on the board of Harte-Hanks |
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Communications until 1997, when the company sold all its newspapers |
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to focus on its other businesses; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Harte was also a pioneer in environmental |
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conservation; he served on a committee that developed the first |
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municipal regulations setting limits on oil and gas drilling in |
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Corpus Christi Bay, which later became a model for state and federal |
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standards, and he was a powerful advocate for the establishment of |
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Mustang Island State Park and Padre Island National Seashore; a |
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member of the National Audubon Society board and a former chair, he |
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received the organization's highest award, the Audubon Medal; he |
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joined with his brother, Houston, to donate their 66,000-acre ranch |
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to the Nature Conservancy, and the land was subsequently added to |
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Big Bend National Park; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Mr. Harte and his wife, Janet, |
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made numerous anonymous donations to worthy causes, focusing on the |
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environment, the arts, education, women's health care, and the |
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homeless; it was revealed in 1998 that the couple had given at least |
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$20 million to such causes, including a $1 million challenge grant |
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to Corpus Christi Metro Ministries to avert the closing of two |
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shelters, along with generous support for a library in Flour Bluff |
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and a performing arts center at Texas A&M University-Corpus |
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Christi; with characteristic vision, Mr. Harte donated $46 million |
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in 2000 to establish the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico |
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Studies at TAMU-Corpus Christi; its researchers have made vital |
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contributions to marine science and have played an important, |
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ongoing role in the response to the massive 2010 BP oil spill; when |
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the Naval Air Station and Corpus Christi Army Depot were threatened |
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with closure, Mr. Harte used his considerable influence to keep |
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them open; and |
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WHEREAS, Ed Harte left an extraordinary legacy for the people |
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of Corpus Christi, the Lone Star State, the Gulf Coast, and beyond; |
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although this kind, witty, and unassuming man will be deeply missed |
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by all who were fortunate enough to know him, his tremendous |
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devotion to environmental and charitable causes will continue to |
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resonate in the years to come; 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 Edward H. Harte and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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children, Christopher Harte, William Harte, Elizabeth Owens, and |
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Julia Widdowson; to his brother, Houston Harte; to his nine |
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grandchildren, his great-grandchild, and his two |
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step-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be |
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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 Edward H. |
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Harte. |