By: Branch (Senate Sponsor - Carona) H.C.R. No. 1

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2013; May 2, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 15, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 15, 2013, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.C.R. No. 1 By: Uresti

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, John Goodwin Tower greatly benefited his state and his nation through his dedicated public service, including nearly a quarter-century in the United States Senate; and

WHEREAS, Born in Houston on September 29, 1925, John Tower served in the United States Navy during World War II on an amphibious gunboat in the Pacific; he was discharged as a seaman first class and remained active in the naval reserve until 1989, when he retired with the rank of master chief boatswain's mate; and

WHEREAS, Senator Tower earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Southwestern University and a master's degree in the same discipline at Southern Methodist University; he accepted a position as an assistant professor at Midwestern University in the early 1950s and continued his studies at the London School of Economics; and

WHEREAS, He soon became a rising star in conservative politics, and in 1960, he was elected as the first Republican senator from Texas since Reconstruction; Senator Tower took on numerous committee assignments in Washington and played a key role in the modernization and expansion of the military as chair of the Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Joint Committee on Defense Production; he also served on the Labor and Public Welfare and Banking and Currency Committees, among many others; he was known for his skill at guiding legislation through Congress, and he sought to stimulate economic growth, increase small business opportunities, improve transportation systems, and encourage strong financial institutions; working diligently in behalf of his fellow Texans, he promoted agriculture as well as the energy, fishing, and maritime industries; and

WHEREAS, After retiring from Congress in 1985, Senator Tower served as President Ronald Reagan's strategic arms negotiator in Geneva, and he further assisted the president by advocating for ratification of a medium-range nuclear weapons treaty with the Soviet Union; in late 1986, President Reagan appointed him as chair of the special review board assigned to investigate the Iran-contra scandals; and

WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan established a consulting company in Dallas that served some of the nation's largest weapons manufacturers, and from 1986 to 1988, he taught political science as a distinguished lecturer at Southern Methodist University; in 1990, President Bush named him chair of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board; tragically, he died in a plane crash the following year; and

WHEREAS, Through his leadership in national security and foreign policy issues, John Tower made vital contributions to the United States, and his tireless efforts to advance the interests of the Lone Star State earned the lasting appreciation of his fellow Texans; naming the State Insurance Building in the Capitol Complex in his honor would provide a most fitting tribute to his outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to rename the State Insurance Building the John G. Tower State Office Building as a lasting tribute to this esteemed Texan; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official copy of this resolution to the chair and executive director of the Texas Facilities Commission.

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