SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 118
	In Memory
	of
	Mark Wells White Jr.
	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins Texans
	across the state in mourning the loss of Mark Wells White Jr., who
	died August 5, 2017, at the age of 77; and
	WHEREAS, Governor White served the people of Texas with
	dedication and integrity over the course of an exceptional career
	in public service that spanned many years; a conservative
	Democrat and a highly respected state leader and politician, Mark
	White served with distinction as Texas' secretary of state,
	attorney general, and governor; during his governorship, he was
	noted for championing political and educational reform and for
	making inclusiveness a high priority in all facets of life in
	Texas; and
	WHEREAS, Mark White was born March 17, 1940, in Henderson,
	Texas, and he grew up in Houston; he attended Baylor University,
	where he earned degrees in business administration and law, and
	where he also met his beloved wife, Linda Gale White; and
	WHEREAS, He began his career in statewide office at the age
	of 32, when he was appointed by Governor Dolph Briscoe in 1973 to
	be Texas secretary of state; in 1978, at the age of 37, he was
	elected attorney general; and
	WHEREAS, In 1982, he defeated the incumbent governor, Bill
	Clements, to become the state's 43rd governor; during his term in
	office, from 1983 to 1987, he was a powerful advocate for
	transforming the state's educational system, and he pushed
	through a $4 billion tax and fee increase to pay for improvements
	in the state's public schools; an innovative and, at the time,
	controversial aspect of his reform efforts was the
	implementation of "no pass, no play," a measure that required
	students to be passing all their classes in order to participate
	in extracurricular activities; the measure endured a firestorm
	of criticism and became a valued and integral part of the Texas
	educational system that remains in place today; and
	WHEREAS, Other features of his significant and successful
	public school initiatives were reductions in class size, a 26
	percent increase in funding to equalize statewide education
	spending, and the implementation of statewide testing standards;
	a number of states across the nation adopted into their
	educational systems many of Governor White's groundbreaking
	initiatives; and
	WHEREAS, During Governor White's tenure, he grappled with
	the state's struggling economy due to disruptions in the oil
	market and the collapse of the savings and loan industry, which
	led to drastically reduced revenues for the state; however, he
	welcomed the era of new technology, and he is noted for embracing
	diversification of the state's economy and for the major role he
	played in the recruitment to Austin of the research conglomerate
	MCC; and
	WHEREAS, After leaving office, he returned to the private
	practice of law; he also continued to be active on behalf of his
	fellow Texans, and he eventually began to have serious
	reservations about capital punishment; he urged lawmakers to
	reconsider its use, and he worked with the Innocence Project on
	behalf of wrongfully convicted inmates; and
	WHEREAS, A man of courage and exceptional vision, he served
	the people of Texas with loyalty and a commitment to fairness,
	and his love of this state, his many accomplishments as its
	governor, and his dedication to public service have had a lasting
	and positive impact; and
	WHEREAS, He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather,
	and he leaves behind memories that will be treasured forever by
	his family and countless friends and by all who were privileged
	to share in his life; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
	Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby extend sincere
	condolences to the bereaved family of Mark Wells White Jr.: his
	wife, Linda Gale Thompson White; his sons, Mark White III and
	Andrew White; his daughter, Elizabeth Marie White Russell; his
	daughters-in-law, Melanie and Stacey; his son-in-law, Seth
	Russell; his sister, Betty Gerlach; and his nine grandchildren;
	and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
	his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
	Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
	memory of Governor Mark White.
	Watson
	Bettencourt Hinojosa Perry
	Birdwell Huffines Rodríguez
	Buckingham Huffman Schwertner
	Burton Hughes Seliger
	Campbell Kolkhorst Taylor of Collin
	Creighton Lucio Taylor of Galveston
	Estes Menéndez Uresti
	Garcia Miles West
	Hall Nelson Whitmire
	Hancock Nichols Zaffirini
	Patrick, President of the Senate
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on August 10, 2017, by
		a rising vote.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate