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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the kindness, |
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generosity, and philanthropic goodwill of Thomas Edward "Ed" Cole, |
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longtime benefactor of Stephen F. Austin State University, who |
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passed away on December 5, 2019, at the age of 97; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on July 22, 1922, in Homer, Louisiana, Ed Cole |
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was the son of Edna and Thomas Edwin Cole, and he grew up in Longview |
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with the companionship of two sisters, Johnette and Helen, and a |
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brother, Hiram; he attended welding school, worked at a shipyard in |
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Beaumont, and eventually joined the United States Air Force, which |
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deployed him to England during World War II; after being discharged |
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from military service in 1946, he found a job as a salesman for an |
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oil field supply company in Longview; his foray into the oil |
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industry led him to later found his own company, Cole Rental Tools, |
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in 1958; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Cole married the former Gwen Peck, the love of |
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his life, on February 14, 1966; the couple resided in New Orleans |
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until relocating to Nacogdoches in 1978; a self-made man and a |
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successful entrepreneur, Mr. Cole enjoyed giving of his own time |
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and resources to nurture the growth of the community and the |
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students at Stephen F. Austin State University; through the years, |
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he and his wife provided funding for numerous facilities on the |
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campus, including an art center and a concert hall; they also |
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endowed scholarships in music, theater, STEM, and basketball to |
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help finance the education of SFA students; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Cole were among the most celebrated |
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benefactors in SFA's history; the couple were regarded with |
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tremendous esteem and affection by the Lumberjack community, and in |
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recognition of Mr. Cole's storied devotion to the university, he |
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was presented with its prestigious Honorary Doctorate of Humane |
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Letters in May 2019; his involvement with SFA further included |
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serving as a trustee for the SFASU Foundation and a member of the |
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Lumberjacks Booster Club, Friends of Music, and the College of Fine |
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Arts Dean's Circle of Excellence, and he made frequent appearances |
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at athletic games and luncheons; he was also engaged in the wider |
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community as a member of the Nacogdoches Rotary Club and other |
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organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, Ed Cole left an indelible mark on Nacogdoches |
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through his altruism and commitment to higher education, and |
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although he is deeply missed, the contributions that he made over |
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the course of his extraordinary life will continue to resonate long |
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into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Thomas Edward Cole |
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and extend sincere sympathy to his loved ones; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Thomas |
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Edward Cole. |