H.C.R. No. 100
 
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The Honorable Jack Pope, a retired chief justice of
  the Texas Supreme Court, is celebrating his 100th birthday on April
  18, 2013, and this occasion provides an ideal opportunity to
  recognize his immeasurable service to the Lone Star State; and
         WHEREAS, At 100, Chief Justice Pope is by all accounts the
  oldest living former state supreme court chief justice in modern
  American history and the first to reach the century mark; he served
  as a judge in trial and appellate courts for 38 years, giving him
  the longest judicial tenure of any Texas Supreme Court justice; and
         WHEREAS, During his exemplary service on the Court of Civil
  Appeals in San Antonio, Chief Justice Pope reshaped Texas water law
  by defining the Spanish roots of water grants in a seminal opinion
  subsequently adopted by the Texas Supreme Court as its own, a rarity
  in the annals of the court; years later, author James A. Michener
  sought his expertise on the important role of water when
  researching his acclaimed historical novel Texas; and
         WHEREAS, This remarkable jurist began his career before the
  advent of formal judicial training; his quest to educate himself in
  the field led him to become a powerful advocate for professional
  education for all Texas judges, a mission now carried on by the
  Texas Center for the Judiciary; his efforts culminated in the
  establishment of compulsory continuing judicial education and the
  adoption of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct by the Supreme Court
  of Texas; and
         WHEREAS, Committed to the principle of justice for all
  Texans, Chief Justice Pope created a means to fund legal assistance
  for the poor; he devised a system to channel interest earned on
  attorneys' client-trust accounts for the benefit of legal aid
  organizations in the state; and
         WHEREAS, His profound reputation for judicial integrity and
  principled decision-making prompted his former Supreme Court
  colleague Thomas M. Reavley to call Chief Justice Pope the greatest
  jurist with whom he has served; this is high tribute indeed from
  Judge Reavley, who has worked with judges on all but one of the 11
  regional federal circuits in the United States, and who now has
  senior status on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit;
  and
         WHEREAS, A cofounder of the Texas Supreme Court Historical
  Society, Chief Justice Pope now is its chair emeritus; the
  organization will soon publish a collection of his writings under a
  title referencing his proud description of himself as a "common
  law" judge; this volume will be the first in a new judicial history
  series; and
         WHEREAS, Born and reared in Abilene, Chief Justice Pope knew
  from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a lawyer; as a youth,
  he also showed the passion for learning that later marked his
  distinguished career and that led him to champion judicial
  education; he was a voracious reader and found inspiration in such
  figures as the Roman historian Tacitus and orator Cicero and in the
  American legal scholars Roscoe Pound and Oliver Wendell Holmes,
  Jr.; and
         WHEREAS, Jack Pope graduated from Abilene High School in 1930
  and went on to attend Abilene Christian College, where he majored in
  speech, earned letters as a member of the debate and tennis teams,
  and served as president of the junior class and the student
  association; subsequently, at The University of Texas School of
  Law, he served as editor of the Texas Law Review; and
         WHEREAS, Licensed by the bar in 1937, Chief Justice Pope
  moved to Corpus Christi and joined the firm of his uncle, former
  state representative Walter E. Pope; he quickly gained wide-ranging
  experience in civil and criminal law and in New Deal-era labor and
  transportation regulatory law; and
         WHEREAS, He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for two years at
  the end of World War II; upon returning to Corpus Christi in 1946,
  he resumed the practice of law, but later that year, at the age of
  33, he was appointed judge of the 94th District Court; he was the
  youngest district judge then serving in Texas; and
         WHEREAS, In 1950, Chief Justice Pope won the first of three
  consecutive terms to the Court of Civil Appeals in San Antonio, the
  first justice who was from south of Bexar County to be elected to
  that court; he won election to the Supreme Court of Texas in 1964,
  and during his years as an associate justice, he not only led
  efforts for judicial and procedural reform, but also helped to
  draft significant rulings on property rights; in 1982, Governor
  Bill Clements appointed him chief justice, an office he held until
  his retirement in 1985; and
         WHEREAS, Known for the lucidity of his thought and writing,
  he published more than 1,000 judicial opinions and over 70
  law-related articles over the course of his career; and
         WHEREAS, Since stepping down from the bench some 28 years
  ago, Chief Justice Pope has continued an active life; he has served
  as president of the Christian Chronicle National Council, an
  advisory body created to serve the international newspaper of the
  Churches of Christ, and coedited a volume about his ancestor John
  Berry, a notable Texas pioneer; in 2011, he published My Little
  United Nations, paying fond tribute to the multicultural team of
  dedicated assistants and caregivers who have nurtured his soul and
  body; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope credits Abilene Christian
  University with providing an essential foundation for his success
  in life, and in return for the invaluable lessons he learned there,
  he has been one of that school's staunchest supporters; he joined
  the ACU Board of Trustees in 1954 and for many years served on the
  senior board; and
         WHEREAS, In tribute to its esteemed graduate, ACU has
  conferred on Chief Justice Pope its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
  award, as well as its Change the World award; moreover, since 1989,
  the school has bestowed scholarships on outstanding students who
  are intending to pursue a career in public service, designating
  them as Jack Pope Fellows; and
         WHEREAS, Another institution that has benefited from Chief
  Justice Pope's active involvement is the State Law Library, which
  was created as a separate state agency in 1971 largely through his
  efforts; Chief Justice Pope has served as a member emeritus of the
  Friends of the State Law Library Board of Directors, and the Friends
  have recognized him and another former chief justice, the late Joe
  Greenhill, with the establishment of the Greenhill-Pope Law Book
  Fund; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope is the recipient of four honorary
  degrees and countless other accolades; in 2009, the Texas Center
  for Legal Ethics presented him with its first Chief Justice Jack
  Pope Professionalism Award, and in 2010 the judicial section of the
  State Bar of Texas honored him with its inaugural Judicial Lifetime
  Achievement Award; and
         WHEREAS, From their marriage in 1938 until her passing in
  2004, Jack Pope and his wife, Allene, shared a richly rewarding
  union; their family today includes two sons, Allen and Jackson
  Pope, two grandsons, Drew and Ryan Pope, and two
  great-grandchildren, Dylan and Peyton Locke; and
         WHEREAS, Greatly admired for his intellect and integrity,
  Chief Justice Pope has contributed significantly to jurisprudence
  in the State of Texas, and it is indeed a privilege to join in
  wishing him well on this special day; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby commend the Honorable Jack Pope for his exceptional service
  to the Lone Star State and congratulate him on the momentous
  occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Chief Justice Pope as an expression of high regard by
  the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.
 
  Branch
 
 
Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
 
Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
 
Alonzo Gooden Otto
 
Alvarado Guerra Paddie
 
Anchia Guillen Parker
 
Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
 
Ashby Harless Perez
 
Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
 
Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
 
Bohac Herrero Pickett
 
Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
 
Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
 
Branch Huberty Raney
 
Burkett Hughes Ratliff
 
Burnam Hunter Raymond
 
Button Isaac Reynolds
 
Callegari Johnson Riddle
 
Canales Kacal Ritter
 
Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
 
Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
 
Clardy King of Parker Rose
 
Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
 
Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
 
Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
 
Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
 
Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
 
Creighton Krause Simmons
 
Crownover Kuempel Simpson
 
Dale Larson Smith
 
Darby Laubenberg Smithee
 
Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
 
J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
 
S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
 
Deshotel Longoria Strama
 
Dukes Lozano Taylor
 
Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
 
Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
 
Elkins Martinez Toth
 
Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
 
Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
 
Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
 
Farrar Miles Villalba
 
Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
 
Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
 
Frank Moody Walle
 
Frullo Morrison White
 
Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
 
Giddings Murphy Wu
 
Goldman Naishtat Zedler
 
Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 100 was adopted by the House on April
  18, 2013, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 100 was adopted by the Senate on April
  29, 2013, by a viva-voce vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor