Page 1 of 3
Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 61
BY SENATORS ALARIO, ADLEY, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAI TOR, CORTEZ, CROWE,
DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY,
HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY,
MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH , MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK,
PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH,
TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHI TE
A RESOLUTION
To commend James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris Jr. for his many years of invaluable public
service to the people of the state of Louisiana and to congratulate him on the
attainment of an exceptional milestone of ninety years of age.
WHEREAS, Jimmy Fitzmorris is a favorite son of Louisiana who has dedicated a
lifetime to public service in state and local government; one of a rare breed of men who does
many things well, as a public servant, businessman, community leader, activist, husband, and
father; and
WHEREAS, he was born in New Orleans on November 15, 1921, to parents, James
and Romolia Fitzmorris, reared in the neighborhoods of the Irish Channel and Broadmoor,
and graduated from Jesuit High School in 1939; and
WHEREAS, his college career at Loyola University was cut short by the call to
military duty during World War II, when he was drafted into the United States Army; he
distinguished himself and rose through the ranks from private to major, was honorably
discharged in 1946, and continued his military service in the United States Army Reserves
for another twenty years; and
WHEREAS, Jimmy Fitzmorris is a servant of the people, having begun his public
service as a New Orleans City Councilman representing District C for twelve years; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, he won a statewide landslide victory to become the Honorable
James E. Fitzmorris Jr., Lieutenant Governor of the State of Louisiana, serving as President
of the Louisiana State Senate, as coordinator of International Trade and Development, as
chairman of the Board of Commerce and Industry, and as head of the Louisiana Tourist SR NO. 61 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 3
Development Commission; and
WHEREAS, during his two terms as Lieutenant Governor, at which time the state's
economic development and growth rate was ranked first in the nation, he was instrumental
in the development of the Louisiana Superdome, the centerpiece of the New Orleans
Tourism Industry, and fruition of the 1984 World's Fair; and
WHEREAS, under Governor Treen's administration, he served as Executive
Assistant for Economic Development and International Affairs; he was again appointed to
the Commerce and Industry Board and rose nationally as chairman of the National
Conference of Lieutenant Governors' Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; and
WHEREAS, in 1999, Jimmy Fitzmorris was honored with induction into the
Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in Winnfield; and
WHEREAS, his economic expertise and business acumen are linked to his lengthy
career with Kansas City Southern Railroad, where he ascended through the ranks to become
vice president; and was named one of the youngest railroad executives in America; and
WHEREAS, it is this real world experience that has propelled Jimmy Fitzmorris to
recognize and bolster the tremendous growth potential within the city of New Orleans and
the state of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, with his considerable expertise in the field of commercial ventures, in
1984, he founded Fitzmorris and Associates, a consultant firm representing a broad clientele
in real estate development and governmental relations; he is a charter member of First Bank
& Trust Company and also serves on the board of directors of First Trust Corporation; and
WHEREAS, his astute business insight garnered recognition from his peers and
inclusion in many prestigious associations, such as, The Chamber/New Orleans, Downtown
Development Committee, Allstate/Sugar Bowl, International Business Board of Loyola
University, A. B. Freeman School of Business of Tulane University, board of directors of
the World Trade Center, World Trade Club, and the Louisiana Industrial Development
Executives Association; and
WHEREAS, many public and nonprofit agencies benefited from his guidance as past
president of the New Orleans Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, as corporate vice
president of National Board of Directors for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the SR NO. 61 ENROLLED
Page 3 of 3
Friends of City Park, Metropolitan New Orleans Safety Council, Aquarium of the Americas,
and Fleur-de-Lis Ambassadors of New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, as a man of unfaltering faith, he serves as an honorary lifetime member
of the Knights of Columbus, Charles Carroll Council No. 2926, and the Order of the
Alhambra, as a Eucharistic minister at St. Pius X Catholic Church, and on the board of
directors of Mount Carmel Academy, and on the advisory board of the Congregation of
Sisters of Mount Carmel; and
WHEREAS, the love of his life was the late Gloria Lopez Fitzmorris, married fifty
years at the time of her passing in 1995, and together they celebrated a life of devotion to
each other; their union blessed by the birth of a daughter, Lisa Marie Clement, two
granddaughters, and a host of close friends and extended family; and
WHEREAS, Jimmy Fitzmorris sets a solid benchmark for a long life rich with
experience; he lives life every day to its fullest; he remains active; he savors all that life
offers; and he serves as a reminder that every day is a gift from God neither to be wasted nor
squandered, no matter what length of time one is allotted.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris Jr., a political icon, a mover and shaker
with nearly sixty years of experience in the public arena, for his many achievements, for his
many contributions to the state of Louisiana, and upon the celebration of his ninetieth
birthday.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
hereby remember and commend Jimmy Fitzmorris as a former presiding officer of this body.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris Jr.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE