H.R. No. 787

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost an admired lawmaker with
	the passing of James Arthur Turman, former speaker of the Texas
	House of Representatives, on February 13, 2019, at the age of 91;
	and
	WHEREAS, Jimmy Turman was born in Fannin County to James
	Wesley Turman and Clive Scarborough Turman on November 29, 1927,
	and later worked his way through East Texas State Teachers College,
	earning bachelor's and master's degrees; he began his career in
	education when he was only 19 and worked as a teacher and principal
	in Wolfe City before being hired as a junior high school principal
	in Paris; after serving with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he
	settled in Gober; and
	WHEREAS, This dedicated public servant won election to the
	first of four terms in the Texas House of Representatives in 1954;
	he drew on his experience as a teacher and school administrator
	while serving on the Education Committee, which he chaired during
	the 55th Legislature, and the School Districts Committee; he also
	chaired the Municipal and Private Corporations Committee and spent
	two sessions on the Banks and Banking Committee; during his time as
	a legislator, he completed his doctoral degree in educational
	administration and psychology at The University of Texas at Austin,
	and when he was elected as speaker of the 57th Texas Legislature in
	1961, he became the first holder of a doctorate to serve as the
	chamber's presiding officer; and
	WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Speaker Turman, the house
	chamber was air-conditioned, and he arranged for the allocation of
	private offices in the Capitol to many rank-and-file members for
	the first time; he served as chair of the Legislative Audit
	Committee, established the State Employees Classification System,
	and promoted passage of a bill supporting the University of
	Houston; committed to fair remuneration for educators, he secured a
	teacher pay raise, and he successfully advocated for better wages
	and more reasonable hours for firefighters as well; in addition,
	the state's first general sales tax was enacted during his
	speakership after he forged an agreement with Governor Price Daniel
	that enabled the bill to become law; his involvement in state
	politics also included an unsuccessful bid for the office of
	lieutenant governor in 1962; and
	WHEREAS, Speaker Turman began working as an assistant to the
	president and as an assistant professor at Texas Woman's University
	in 1957, and during his tenure, he established the TWU Foundation
	and served as its first director; he went on to join the U.S. Office
	of Education and rose to become associate commissioner, the highest
	civil service position in the agency; concurrently, he served on
	the Education Commission of the States, and President Lyndon
	B. Johnson appointed him to the J. William Fulbright Foreign
	Scholarship Board; he served in subsequent administrations as
	director of the President's National Advisory Council on Extension
	and Continuing Education and as a consultant to the President's
	Council on Physical Fitness; moreover, he shared his expertise as a
	member of presidential task forces on public school desegregation;
	and
	WHEREAS, During his time in the nation's capital, Speaker
	Turman founded two national educational management consulting
	corporations; he later worked as chief of staff for Texas congress
	member Jim Mattox and as a liaison to the House Budget Committee; in
	his next role, as regional director of refugee resettlement in
	Dallas for the Department of Health and Human Services, he helped
	immigrants from Vietnam and Cambodia make new homes in the
	U.S. following the fall of Saigon; in 1986, he retired from the
	civil service and joined the Office of the State Comptroller as a
	senior research analyst; he organized Chaparral Mining Corporation
	four years later and held the offices of board chair, president, and
	CEO with the company; and
	WHEREAS, During retirement, Speaker Turman traveled North
	America in an RV with his beloved wife and best friend, Joanie
	Turman, visiting all 49 state capitols across the continental U.S.;
	when not on the road, the couple enjoyed residing near their friend
	Willie Nelson in the Village of Briarcliff; Speaker Turman was the
	father of one son, James A. Turman Jr., who preceded him in death;
	and
	WHEREAS, In recognition of this admired Texan's many
	achievements, the Texas Legislature unanimously designated
	Farm-to-Market Road 68 in Fannin County as Speaker Jimmy Turman
	Road in 2005, and he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas
	A&M University-Commerce in 2009; and
	WHEREAS, Through his tremendous dedication to the Lone Star
	State and to public education, Jimmy Turman made a positive
	difference in the lives of countless people, and his contributions
	will be remembered and admired for years to come; now, therefore, be
	it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable James
	Arthur Turman and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones: to
	his wife, Joanie Turman; to his sister, Mary Ann Reagan; to his
	former brother-in-law, Dr. Billy R. Reagan; and to all who mourn
	his passing; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Speaker
	Turman.
	Howard
	Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble
	Allen Guillen Oliverson
	Allison Gutierrez Ortega
	Anchia Harless Pacheco
	Anderson Harris Paddie
	Ashby Hefner Parker
	Bailes Hernandez Patterson
	Beckley Herrero Paul
	Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez
	Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan
	Bernal Howard Price
	Biedermann Huberty Ramos
	Blanco Hunter Raney
	Bohac Israel Raymond
	Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds
	Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
	Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr.
	Bucy Kacal Rose
	Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal
	Burrows King of Parker Sanford
	Button King of Uvalde Schaefer
	Cain Klick Shaheen
	Calanni Krause Sheffield
	Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr.
	Capriglione Lambert Shine
	Clardy Landgraf Smith
	Cole Lang Smithee
	Coleman Larson Springer
	Collier Leach Stephenson
	Cortez Leman Stickland
	Craddick Longoria Stucky
	Cyrier Lopez Swanson
	Darby Lozano Talarico
	Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry
	Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
	Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
	Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt
	Dominguez Meyer Toth
	Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas
	Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant
	Fierro Miller VanDeaver
	Flynn Minjarez Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morales White
	Geren Morrison Wilson
	Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray
	Goldman Murphy Wu
	González of Dallas Murr Zedler
	González of El Paso Neave Zerwas
	Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener
	______________________________
	Speaker of the
	House
	I certify that H.R. No. 787 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on March 21, 2019.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House