84R31530 KSM-F
 
  By: Parker H.C.R. No. 130
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, John Wayne is the prototypical American hero,
  symbolizing such traits as self-reliance, grace under pressure,
  resolve, and patriotism; and
         WHEREAS, Born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, in
  Winterset, Iowa, he moved with his parents as a young boy to
  California; in 1916, while the family was living in Glendale, he
  began going by "Duke," a nickname that followed him throughout his
  life; and
         WHEREAS, In 1925, he began attending the University of
  Southern California on a football scholarship, playing offensive
  lineman; after breaking his collarbone in a surfing accident before
  his junior year, he withdrew from the university and found
  employment with Fox Film Corporation as a laborer moving set props
  and as an occasional extra in movies; and
         WHEREAS, While working at the studio, he met Wyatt Earp, who
  was serving as a consultant to Western film director John Ford, and
  he subsequently adopted some of Earp's mannerisms for his roles as a
  cowboy; and
         WHEREAS, The first film in which he appeared as the leading
  actor was The Big Trail, released in 1930; it was then that the
  studio gave him the screen name "John Wayne," which he would use for
  the remainder of his acting career; and
         WHEREAS, Starring in classic Western films such as
  Stagecoach, Red River, The Searchers, and True Grit, Wayne
  personified the archetypal cowboy who is rough-edged and
  plainspoken, but who is also capable of great warmth, kindness, and
  generosity; he won an Oscar in 1970 for Best Actor for his role as
  Rooster Cogburn in True Grit; and
         WHEREAS, Although best known for his Westerns, John Wayne
  starred in many movies in other genres, such as the World War II
  films Flying Tigers and Sands of Iwo Jima; and
         WHEREAS, Wayne was an avid supporter of the United States
  military and toured bases and hospitals in the South Pacific in 1943
  and 1944 with the United Service Organizations; and
         WHEREAS, In The Alamo, his first film as a director, John
  Wayne played the role of Davy Crockett; the film won an Oscar
  nomination in 1961 for Best Picture; Wayne also directed and
  starred in The Green Berets, which was released in 1968 and which
  was set in Vietnam; and
         WHEREAS, Over the course of his acting career, John Wayne
  practically invented the Western hero by combining rugged
  masculinity with the courage to stand up to authority when
  necessary, the strength to match any opponent, and the
  determination to prevail against great odds; John Wayne endures as
  a cultural icon, and his films continue to appeal to new audiences;
  now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby designate May 26 as John Wayne Day; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section
  391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
  until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
  passed by the legislature.