|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 836
|
|
|
|
In Memory |
|
of |
|
Ralph Harris Poteet |
|
|
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a respected educator with |
|
the death of former Mesquite Independent School District |
|
superintendent Dr. Ralph Harris Poteet, who passed away on |
|
September 23, 2012, at the age of 86; and |
|
WHEREAS, Born in Desdemona on July 12, 1926, to Sybil and |
|
William Poteet, Ralph Poteet attended Stephenville High School |
|
and graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown; he |
|
served his country in World War II and continued his education |
|
with graduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin and |
|
The University of Texas at Arlington; he received his doctorate |
|
from East Texas State University; and |
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Poteet began his career in education in |
|
Bartlett in 1949, serving as a teacher, coach, and principal; he |
|
moved to Mesquite in 1955 to work as the head football coach, and |
|
five years later he was appointed business manager for the |
|
district; he served as assistant superintendent before being |
|
named district superintendent in 1964; and |
|
WHEREAS, For 22 years, Dr. Poteet oversaw the Mesquite |
|
Independent School District, ably guiding district schools |
|
through a period of significant growth; during his tenure, the |
|
district expanded to include 29 schools, and 30 new buildings |
|
were constructed on area campuses; Dr. Poteet was an energetic |
|
and visionary administrator who emphasized discipline and hard |
|
work, and he helped the district become one of the most |
|
innovative school systems in Texas, establishing the first |
|
public school radio station, along with a public school |
|
television station and a planetarium that were also among the |
|
earliest in the state; he also created a school-community |
|
partnership program that established a park along with each new |
|
school; and |
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Poteet was recognized with numerous awards |
|
for his leadership, including a Texas Superintendent of the Year |
|
regional award, the National Leadership Award from the National |
|
School Development Council, and the Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
from Phi Delta Kappa International, and he was named Mesquite |
|
Citizen of the Year twice; for his retirement in 1986, President |
|
Ronald Reagan, Texas Governor Mark White, and many other elected |
|
officials sent congratulatory letters; moreover, a new high |
|
school, the fourth in the district, was named for him, and his |
|
initials of RHP inspired the school's motto, "Respect, Honor, and |
|
Pride"; and |
|
WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Dr. Poteet continued to |
|
serve as a consultant with the district; he published articles on |
|
education in several magazines and served as an adjunct professor |
|
at East Texas State University; he further shared his time and |
|
talents as the chair of Keep Mesquite Beautiful, as a director of |
|
the Dallas County Appraisal District and the Christian Care |
|
Center, and as a member of the local Lions Club and chamber of |
|
commerce and the North Texas Council of Governments; and |
|
WHEREAS, A man of faith, Dr. Poteet belonged to the Church |
|
of Christ and served his congregation as a deacon and elder; in |
|
all of his endeavors, he enjoyed the love and support of his wife |
|
of 65 years, Anne Thomas Poteet, and he took great pride in their |
|
daughter, Carol Anne Tipton, and her husband, Steve, and in their |
|
grandsons, Casey, Jake, and Zach Tipton; and |
|
WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to his family, his profession, and |
|
his community, Dr. Ralph Poteet made a positive difference in the |
|
lives of countless area Texans, and he leaves behind a legacy |
|
that will resonate for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, |
|
83rd Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Ralph |
|
Poteet and extend deepest sympathy to his friends and loved ones; |
|
and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
|
his family, and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this day, it |
|
do so in memory of Dr. Ralph Poteet. |
|
|
Deuell |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
the Senate on May 6, 2013, by a |
|
|
rising vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Member, Texas Senate |