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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Jim Griffith of Waco has devoted much of his life to |
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public service and to advocacy on behalf of his political ideals; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The son of U.S. Olympic wrestling coach Art |
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Griffith, Mr. Griffith helped start the Texas A&M University NCAA |
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wrestling team during the 1950s, and during the 1960s he moved to |
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San Marcos, where he participated in the senatorial campaigns of |
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John Tower and George H. W. Bush; in 1962, he was elected chair of |
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the Hays County Republican Party, and the following year he was |
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elected to the State Republican Executive Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, An expert in issues related to poverty and |
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vocational education, Mr. Griffith has served four U.S. |
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presidents; under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, he was the Office |
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of Economic Opportunity regional director for Texas, Oklahoma, |
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Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico, and he later moved to |
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Washington, D.C., where he served as the assistant director and |
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director of operations for the War on Poverty and the director of |
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Indian and migrant programs; and |
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WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, Mr. Griffith was working for the |
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Texas State Technical Institute in Waco when he met his future wife, |
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Sharon, who ran the school's admissions offices; when Mr. Griffith |
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was offered a chance to join the Reagan administration, the couple |
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moved to Washington, D.C., and got married in a church on Capitol |
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Hill; Mrs. Griffith went to work for the Republican National |
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Committee, while Mr. Griffith served as executive director of the |
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President's Council on Vocational and Technical Education, working |
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with state vocational education offices and the National Chamber of |
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Commerce; he was the author of a book published by the President's |
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Council called A Nation at Work; and |
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WHEREAS, The couple returned to the Waco area in 1989, and |
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Mr. Griffith continued to advise the administration of George H. W. |
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Bush on matters of vocational and technical education; in 1993, the |
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couple purchased and restored the historic Deyerle-Fall Mansion in |
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McGregor, which they now rent out for private parties, while |
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Mr. Griffith remains active in local politics; and |
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WHEREAS, Our communities benefit immeasurably from the |
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dedication of public-spirited individuals such as Jim Griffith, and |
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he may indeed take great pride in his myriad contributions to the |
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betterment of this state and nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Jim Griffith for his long and |
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distinguished record of public service and civic engagement and |
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extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; 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 Mr. Griffith as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |