SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 472

In Memory

of

John William Hartman

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and commemorates the life of John William "Bill" Hartman, who died May 3, 2021, at the age of 79; and

WHEREAS, Bill Hartman was born on July 19, 1941, in Houston; he grew up in Baytown, and he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1959; he went on to earn a degree in business administration from Baylor University; and

WHEREAS, He began his long and distinguished career in journalism as a teenager by working for his father at the Baytown Sun; after his college graduation, he served as the editor and publisher of the Bayshore Sun in La Porte before returning to the Baytown Sun, where he worked as general manager until 1971; and

WHEREAS, After serving for a time as editor and publisher of the Beaumont Enterprise & Journal, he founded Hartman Newspapers, Incorporated, in 1974; the company grew, and today, the business operates nine community newspapers across Texas, including the Fort Bend Herald; and

WHEREAS, Bill strongly believed that the press should play a role as a government watchdog, and his company encouraged publishers to hold public officials responsible for their actions; his insistence on plain language and on a strict separation between news reporting and editorial content embodied the highest ideals of journalism; and

WHEREAS, He was a tireless promoter of Fort Bend County, and he held leadership positions in a wide range of professional and civic organizations, including the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, and the Rosenberg-Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce; he was an avid outdoorsman who raised Arabian horses and was a frequent top-10 finisher in United States National Arabian and Half-Arabian competitions; and

WHEREAS, He was devoted to his three children and six grandchildren, and he gave generously to others; he was a man of many talents and interests, and his enthusiasm for living each day to the fullest was an inspiration to all who were privileged to share in his life; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved family of John William Hartman; 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 Bill Hartman. Kolkhorst

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 25, 2021, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate