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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Roy Eaton of Decatur retired as publisher of the |
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Wise County Messenger at the end of 2018, concluding a noteworthy |
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45-year tenure at the helm of the newspaper; and |
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WHEREAS, A Decatur native, Mr. Eaton was still a Texas |
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Christian University undergrad when a Fort Worth radio station |
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hired him as a part-time reporter and then promoted him to news |
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director; he went on to become news director at the Dallas-Fort |
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Worth NBC radio affiliate and, later, a news anchor for the local |
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NBC television station; in 1973, he returned to his hometown with |
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his wife, Jeannine, and they purchased the nearly century-old Wise |
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County Messenger; under his leadership, it won more than 150 awards |
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for excellence in news coverage, advertising, and design; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Eaton has served his profession in numerous |
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capacities; in 1992, he was elected to the board of the National |
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Newspaper Association, and he went on to serve as president of that |
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organization as well as of the Texas Press Association and the Texas |
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Newspaper Foundation; the recipient of myriad accolades, he was |
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inducted into the inaugural class of the Texas Newspaper Hall of |
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Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Mr. Eaton was |
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named 1980 Citizen of the Year for his work in developing a |
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countywide emergency medical service system; he successfully |
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advocated for a Decatur community college campus and a $5 million |
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conference center; among numerous leadership roles, he was |
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president of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Wise |
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Health System, chief of the Decatur Fire Department, and a director |
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of the North Central Texas Council of Governments; he was also an |
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announcer for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for more than four |
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decades; and |
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WHEREAS, Roy Eaton has exemplified the highest ideals of the |
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journalism profession, informing and educating his readers while |
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playing a vital role in the life of his community, and in so doing, |
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he has earned the deep respect and appreciation of all who are |
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fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Roy Eaton on his retirement as |
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publisher of the Wise County Messenger and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Eaton as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |