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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Jack Sawtelle Blanton, a prominent Houston oil |
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executive and philanthropist, passed away on December 28, 2013, at |
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the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Louise Wynn and William Neal Blanton, |
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Jack Blanton was born on December 7, 1927, in Shreveport, |
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Louisiana; when he was two, the family moved to Houston, where he |
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graduated from Lamar High School; he went on to attend The |
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University of Texas and received a degree in history in 1947 and a |
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bachelor of laws degree three years later; while at UT, he competed |
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in tennis, and the sport proved to be a lifelong passion for him; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Blanton began working for the Scurlock Oil |
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Company in 1950 and quickly rose through the ranks to become head of |
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the company in 1958; he held the office of president and CEO for a |
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quarter-century and subsequently served Scurlock as chair before |
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retiring in 1988; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Mr. Blanton was dedicated to |
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the city of Houston and served on the boards of many businesses and |
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institutions, including Texas Commerce Bank, Southwestern Bell |
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Telephone, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Houston Methodist |
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Hospital, where he was a life trustee; he also chaired the Greater |
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Houston Partnership, a consortium of community-minded business |
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leaders, and he devoted time and resources to a number of charitable |
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groups, including the Scurlock Foundation, which he cofounded in |
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1954; from 1990 to 2003, he served as chair of the Houston |
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Endowment, which contributes to a broad spectrum of programs in |
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such areas as education, health care, and the arts, and over the |
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course of his tenure, he shepherded the endowment's growth, from |
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$400 million to more than $1 billion; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Blanton also remained loyal to his alma mater, |
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and he served on the UT Board of Regents for six years, including a |
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two-year term as chair; in addition, he served as chair of the LBJ |
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Foundation and as president of the Ex-Students' Association, and he |
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was recognized with a Distinguished Alumnus and a Santa Rita Award, |
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the highest accolade bestowed by the Board of Regents; the |
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university paid special tribute to this esteemed benefactor with |
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the naming of the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art in his honor in 1997; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For five decades, Mr. Blanton enjoyed the love and |
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support of his wife, Laura Lee Scurlock, and they were blessed with |
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three children, Elizabeth, Jack, and Eddy; after Mrs. Blanton's |
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passing, Mr. Blanton was fortunate enough to find love again and he |
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married Cindy Davis; following her death, he met Ginger Renfroe at |
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his church, St. Luke's United Methodist, and the couple married in |
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2002; over the course of more than a decade together, they shared a |
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profound commitment to their family, their faith, and their |
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community; and |
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WHEREAS, Jack Blanton earned great respect and admiration for |
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his business acumen and civic leadership, as well as for his |
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generosity in sharing his success with institutions across the Lone |
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Star State, and he leaves behind a legacy that will resonate long |
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into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature pay tribute to the memory of Jack Sawtelle Blanton and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Ginger Renfroe Blanton; to his children, Elizabeth Wareing and her |
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husband, Peter, Jack S. Blanton Jr. and his wife, Leslie, and Eddy |
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S. Blanton and his wife, Kelli; to his grandchildren and |
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great-grandchildren; and to his many other relatives and friends; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jack S. |
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Blanton. |