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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 502
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In Memory |
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of |
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Alan Russell Erwin |
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and |
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commemorates the life of Alan Russell Erwin, who died November |
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12, 2019, at the age of 75; and |
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WHEREAS, An esteemed member of the Austin community, Alan |
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Erwin had a rewarding life of service and was a devoted husband, |
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father, and grandfather; he was a distinguished veteran, an |
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esteemed journalist and author, a respected statesman, and a |
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faithful Christian servant; and |
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WHEREAS, Alan Erwin was born on September 4, 1944, in |
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Greenville, Texas; he began cultivating his writing skills as a |
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high school student working as a weekly reporter and columnist |
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for the Baytown Sun, and he went on to earn a bachelor of arts |
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degree in communications from The University of Texas at Austin; |
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he married Gay Taylor in December of 1967, and three weeks later, |
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he joined the United States Navy; after graduating from Officer |
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Candidate School in Rhode Island, he was stationed aboard the USS |
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Lexington to serve as the ship's communications and public |
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affairs officer; in 1969, he was assigned to serve in Vietnam as |
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an advisor to the Vietnamese Navy's Swift Boat division; and |
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WHEREAS, Alan worked as a reporter, editor, and publisher |
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for such leading newspapers as the Dallas Morning News, the |
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Houston Chronicle, and the New York Times, and he served as the |
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capitol correspondent for the Hartman newspaper group; he |
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accomplished his dream of writing a great American novel in 1984, |
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when he published The Power Exchange; and |
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WHEREAS, Alan's political career began with his service as |
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chief of staff for Congressman Bob Casey from Houston; he served |
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as an advisor and a speech writer for Governor Dolph Briscoe, and |
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in 1972, the governor appointed him to the Office of |
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State-Federal Relations in Washington, D.C.; he was one of the |
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three commissioners first appointed to the Texas Public Utility |
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Commission, and after he left state government, he served as |
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senior vice president and manager of the Houston division of Hill |
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and Knowlton Public Relations; he then established his own |
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consulting firm, Erwin and Associates; and |
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WHEREAS, Alan and Gay shared 51 years of marriage, and they |
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were longtime members of the Episcopal Church of the Good |
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Shepherd in Austin; they were blessed with three sons, Andy, |
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Josh, and Will Erwin, and their seven grandchildren enriched his |
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life immeasurably; and |
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WHEREAS, Alan remained committed to the United States Navy |
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and his fellow veterans throughout his life, and he was proud to |
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have helped raise $1.5 million in donations to commission the |
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Vietnam Veterans Monument currently standing on the grounds of |
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the Texas Capitol; he was a true Texas gentleman and a beloved |
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member of his community, and he leaves behind memories that will |
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long be cherished by all who were privileged to share in his life; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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family of Alan Russell Erwin; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of Alan Erwin. |
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Eckhardt |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on May 27, 2021, by a |
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rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |