SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 34

In Memory

of

James Bass Jr.

WHEREAS, James William Bass Jr. of Tyler, justice emeritus of the 12th Court of Appeals, passed away on June 20, 2025, at the age of 90; and

WHEREAS, Born on November 19, 1934, Bill Bass graduated from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and was commissioned as a U.S. Army field artillery lieutenant; he married the former Patsy Ann McMurray in 1956, and they moved to Germany, where he served with NATO forces; returning to Van Zandt County, he worked on the family farm in Martin's Mill before beginning law school at Southern Methodist University; during his first year, he was elected to the first of three terms in the Texas House of Representatives; he served on a number of committees, including Agriculture and Military Affairs, and he was a member of the famed "Dirty Thirty" coalition of House members whose efforts to oppose corruption among elected officials ushered in a new era in the Texas Legislature; and

WHEREAS, Justice Bass returned to private life to practice law with his friend and mentor in the firm of Elliott & Bass; following his appointment to the 12th Court of Appeals, he was twice elected to the bench, and in retirement, he continued to serve as a senior appellate judge; he further distinguished himself as a member of the Texas Constitutional Revision Commission and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct; among other accolades, he received the Justinian Award from the Smith County Bar Foundation; he benefited his local community as a member of the boards of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and All Saints Episcopal School; in addition, he was a vestryman of his parish; he was preceded in death by a daughter, Julia Alexandra Bass, longtime journal clerk of the Texas House; and

WHEREAS, Scholarly and well-read, Bill Bass was a gifted orator and an invaluable mentor, and while his passing brings great sadness to his family and friends, his legacy of public service will remain a lasting source of inspiration to all; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of James William Bass Jr. and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Patsy Ann McMurray Bass; to his children, Dr. James William Bass III and his wife, Dana Taylor Bass, Leslie Suzanne Bass and her husband, David Hudson, and Elizabeth Eaton Bass and her husband, Joseph Newman; to his grandsons, William Bass IV and Zachary Taylor Bass; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the Honorable Bill Bass.

Hughes

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on August 15, 2025, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate