| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2636 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Norman F. Porter, Sr., has contributed to our |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | knowledge of the Lone Star State and its rich heritage through his |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | authorship of Atascosa County History through 1912; and |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Published in 2007, Atascosa County History has |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | received excellent reviews for its recounting of the compelling |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | story of this South Texas county; Mr. Porter used a vast number of |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | primary sources to explore such events as the bitter fight that |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | erupted in 1910 over the relocation of the county seat, requiring |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | the dispatch of two Texas Rangers to keep the peace among quarreling |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | factions; moreover, the book's nearly 400 pages include numerous |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | previously unpublished images; and |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The son of Ruby and Wilber Porter, Norman Porter was |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | born in North Pleasanton on March 4, 1933, and grew up in Atascosa |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | County; he attended Southwest Texas State College on a football |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | scholarship and served his country in the U.S. Army for three years |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | before earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in education; |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Porter began his 35-year career at Pleasanton |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | Junior High School in 1956; after coaching and teaching history, he |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | became an administrator and retired as principal of the junior |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | high; he was named Man of the Year in 1990 by the Pleasanton Chamber |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | of Commerce and was inducted into the Pleasanton High School |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Athletic Hall of Fame; since his retirement, he has traveled to |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | antique shows in other states as a postcard dealer and has assembled |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | an extensive personal collection of cards featuring vintage |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | photographs of small South Texas towns; and |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, In 2005, Mr. Porter was named Senior Citizen of the |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Year by the chamber of commerce for his noteworthy achievements; he |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | has done extensive research on the San Antonio, Uvalde, and Gulf |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | Railroad and served as president of the Longhorn Museum Society for |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 10 years, helping to restore the SAU&G Railroad Depot and obtain a |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Union Pacific caboose for exhibition; in addition, he is a member of |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | the Texas State Historical Association, and he has served as chair |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | of the county historical commission, president of the Pleasanton |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | Cemetery Association, and vice president of the 2006 Atascosa |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | Sesquicentennial Committee; and |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed author and historian gives |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | informative talks to civic clubs and elementary school students and |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | has been instrumental in obtaining Texas Historical Markers for |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | such sites as the graves of former Texas Rangers; in addition, he |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | has helped many visitors to Pleasanton locate the burial places of |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | their ancestors; in his myriad endeavors, he enjoys the love and |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | support of his wife, Iris Porter, and their son, Norman, |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | daughter-in-law, Amy, and four grandchildren; and |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | WHEREAS, Norman Porter has played a vital role in chronicling |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | and preserving the fascinating history of Atascosa County in his |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | comprehensive book as well as through his years of dedicated |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | service to historical organizations; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Norman F. Porter, Sr., on the |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | publication of Atascosa County History through 1912 and commend him |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | for his many contributions to historical preservation and |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | education; and, be it further |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | prepared for Mr. Porter as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | House of Representatives. |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Gonzalez Toureilles |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2636 was adopted by the House on May |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | 31, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|