H.R. No. 803

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Honorable Ralph Moody Hall of Rockwall, one of
	the last members of the Greatest Generation to serve in the
	U.S. Congress, passed away on March 7, 2019, at the age of 95,
	bringing a great loss to his family, friends, and fellow Texans; and
	WHEREAS, First elected to the House of Representatives in
	1980, Ralph Hall became legendary for his work ethic and dedication
	to constituent service; he spent every weekend back home when
	Congress was in session, visiting small towns and learning about
	voters' concerns; on one occasion, he even drove a local veteran
	some 300 miles round-trip to get his benefits set up at the regional
	VA office in Waco; and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Hall was ever attentive to the economic
	interests of Texas; as ranking member and chair of the Science,
	Space, and Technology Committee, he championed NASA, and he
	advocated for the state's oil and gas industry as a key member of
	the Energy and Commerce Committee; moreover, he secured federal
	funding for a number of major projects, including an airport and
	roadway, now named in his honor; his integrity, charm, and
	self-deprecating sense of humor won over even those who disagreed
	with him on nearly every issue, and he was reelected 16 times,
	becoming the oldest person ever to serve in the U.S. House in 2012;
	he was 91 when he left office in 2015; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Fate on May 3, 1923, Congressman Hall
	delivered newspapers and worked at a pharmacy while growing up; he
	also entered politics at an early age, handing out campaign cards
	for candidates and chauffeuring them around; he joined the
	U.S. Navy during World War II, and completed pilot training; after
	demobilization, he went to college on the G.I. Bill and then worked
	three jobs while pursuing a law degree at Southern Methodist
	University; he won election as Rockwall County Judge and finished
	his degree near the beginning of his 12-year tenure in that office;
	and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Hall went on to win a state senate seat
	in 1962, and over the next decade, he chaired a number of
	committees, among them Consumer Protection, Transportation, and
	County, District, and Urban Affairs; during a short stint in the
	private sector, he practiced law, served as chief executive of
	Texas Aluminum Corporation, and founded a bank in his hometown; and
	WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, he shared a rewarding
	relationship with Mary Ellen Murphy Hall before her passing in
	2008, and he once told a reporter, with wry wistfulness, "In 63
	years of marriage, we never had a single, solitary argument . . .
	that I won"; he was the father of three sons, Hampton, Brett, and
	Blakeley, and he took great pride in his five grandchildren and two
	great-grandchildren; long after his 80th birthday, he remained fit
	and active, starting his days with two-mile runs and, in 2012,
	marking Memorial Day by skydiving to honor members of the military;
	and
	WHEREAS, Ralph Hall dedicated every chapter of his life to
	public service, leaving a legacy that will continue to resonate for
	years to come, and he will be remembered with admiration and deep
	affection by all who were privileged to know this kind, thoughtful,
	and gracious man; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of former
	U.S. Congressman Ralph Moody Hall and extend sincere condolences 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 Ralph Moody
	Hall.
	Holland
	Flynn
	VanDeaver
	Paddie
	Smith
	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. 803 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on March 13, 2019.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House