SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 129

In Memory

of

Harry Middleton

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins citizens across the state in mourning the loss of Harry Middleton, a beloved Austinite and the former director of the LBJ Presidential Library, who died January 20, 2017, at the age of 95; and

WHEREAS, Born on October 24, 1921, in Centerville, Iowa, Harry Middleton was known by his friends and colleagues for his charisma, sense of honor, compassion, and intellectual vigor, and he was universally regarded as the most distinguished director to have ever served in the presidential library system; and

WHEREAS, Harry Middleton enlisted in the United States Army in 1943, and he served for three years during World War II; he later served for two years as an officer in the Korean War, and he retired from military duty with the rank of captain; he earned a degree in journalism from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Middleton met President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1966 while writing a report for a presidential commission on the selective service, and he was hired as a presidential staff assistant the following year; he wrote speeches and congressional messages for the president for the duration of his term, and he returned with him to Texas to collaborate on writing and publishing The Choices We Face and The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963-1969; and

WHEREAS, Often referred to as the "Dean of Presidential Library Directors," Harry Middleton became the second director of the LBJ Presidential Library in 1970, and for more than 31 years, he was manager of one of the most celebrated presidential libraries in the country; in addition to archiving an extensive collection of historical materials, he advocated for the formal collaboration between the presidential library and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, a partnership that continues today to promote the development of innovative research and public education initiatives; in August of 2000, Texas Monthly described Mr. Middleton as "The Man Who Saved LBJ" for his decision to publically release President Johnson's recorded telephone conversations; and

WHEREAS, Harry Middleton was a highly gifted writer who earned widespread acclaim for his historical and biographical publications; he received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in 1991, and the following year, he was honored with the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award; in 1994, Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson established the Harry Middleton Lectureship to enable the public and students at The University of Texas at Austin to attend lectures by renowned speakers free of charge; in 2004, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation established the Harry Middleton Fellowships to support scholarly work in presidential studies; and

WHEREAS, Harry Middleton was a treasured citizen of Texas and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather; noted for his wise counsel and loyalty, he lived a life of great integrity and purpose, and his legacy at the LBJ Presidential Library will continue to inspire the highest standards of public engagement and discourse long into the future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved family of Harry Middleton; 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 Harry Middleton.

Watson

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 6, 2017, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate