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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Gus Franklin Mutscher of Brenham, a |
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former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and Washington |
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County judge, passed away on February 26, 2023, at the age of 90; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Gus and Gertrude Mutscher, Gus Mutscher |
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was born in the William Penn community in Washington County on |
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November 19, 1932; he graduated from Brenham High School and |
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attended Blinn College on a baseball scholarship before earning a |
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bachelor's degree in business administration from The University of |
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Texas at Austin; as a member of the UT ROTC program, he was |
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commissioned as a reserve officer in the U.S. Army; he went on to |
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work in sales and advertising for the Borden Company; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Mutscher was first elected to the Texas House in |
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1960; a member of numerous committees, he chaired the committees on |
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Claims and Accounts and Congressional and Legislative Districts, |
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and he served as vice chair of Land Use and Environmental Control, |
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Liquor Regulation, and Multiple Use and Pollution of All Waters of |
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Texas; he was also a member of the Legislative Budget Board and |
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Texas Legislative Council; in 1969, he was unanimously elected |
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House Speaker; he favored a strong committee system, promoted |
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efficiency, and stressed the importance of interim activities; his |
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priorities throughout his legislative career included air and water |
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quality, public, higher, and medical education, agricultural |
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extension services, state highways, and museums of Texas history, |
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notably the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum and the Star of the |
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Republic Museum; moreover, he was instrumental in securing passage |
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of clean beach legislation for Galveston County, and he increased |
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funding for the Texas Department of Public Safety; he was named a |
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distinguished alumnus by UT Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his sixth term, Mr. Mutscher returned to |
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Brenham, pursuing interests in real estate and the cattle business; |
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he was appointed as county judge to fill a vacancy in 1976 and |
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during a tenure that spanned nearly 14 years, he was elected |
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president of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of |
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Texas and of the National Association of Regional Councils; a |
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lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church, he served as an officer |
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and expressed his faith through charitable endeavors; he was a |
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champion of the Blinn College Foundation and assisted in the |
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establishment of the Blinn College Alumni & Friends Association and |
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Hall of Honor; in 2017, he was honored for his role in founding the |
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Star of the Republic Museum, as well as his efforts in behalf of |
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Blinn College; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Mutscher was devoted above all to his family, |
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including his two children, Lisa and Gus, and his grandsons, |
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Matthew, William, Cade, and Drew; he loved spending time with them, |
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especially watching Texas Longhorn football and baseball games, and |
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he was always ready to offer encouragement and support; in |
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addition, he loved working on his ranch, and he often drove to |
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Irving to see the Dallas Cowboys play; and |
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WHEREAS, While the death of Gus Mutscher brings great sadness |
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to his family and friends, his accomplishments will continue to |
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benefit his community for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Gus Franklin |
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Mutscher and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his children, Lisa Mikus and her husband, James, and Gus |
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H. Mutscher and his wife, Amy; to his grandsons, Matthew Mikus and |
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his wife, Lauren, William Mikus, Cade Mutscher, and Drew Mutscher; |
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to his sister, Marge Foelber; to his brothers-in-law, Herb Foelber |
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and Fred Boecker; to his sister-in-law, Joanne Mutscher; and to his |
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other relatives and friends; 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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former Texas House Speaker Gus Franklin Mutscher. |