H.R. No. 983
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, During his many decades as an elected official and
community business leader in McAllen, the Honorable Othal E.
Brand, Sr., has had a lasting . . . and lasting . . . and lasting
influence on the city of McAllen; and
WHEREAS, The mayor of McAllen from 1977 until 1997, this
tireless public servant helped guide the city through two eventful
decades that witnessed great economic and civic progress in South
Texas; while Mayor Brand may not have succeeded in his valiant
campaign to rid the city of grackles, there is no denying that his
efforts have made an indelible mark on his adopted hometown; and
WHEREAS, Othal Brand was born on August 12, 1919, in Grayson,
Georgia, and began his love affair with vegetables soon after his
mother fed him his first spoonful of mushy peas; a born
entrepreneur, he entered the business world at a young age, and he
and his brother Bill established Brand Brothers Produce in Atlanta,
the city where he grew up; and
WHEREAS, Opting to put his budding fruit and vegetable empire
on hold during World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps and served his nation in the South Pacific; he returned
stateside at war's end, and he and his wife, Kathryn Louise, were
joined in matrimony in 1945; whether it was due to Mrs. Brand's good
sense or some other factor, the couple moved in the mid-1950s to
McAllen, a town Mr. Brand had first visited in the late 1930s; and
WHEREAS, Warm weather makes most people slow down a step or
two, but Othal Brand is not most people; once settled beneath the
South Texas sun, he went to work, teaming with Jack Griffin to found
Griffin & Brand of McAllen; the company grew into one of the
nation's largest vegetable producers, processors, and shippers,
and Mr. Brand became a titan of agriculture, eventually earning a
place in the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor for his contributions to
farming and ranching; in time, he sought elective office, serving
as a member of the school board and as a city commissioner in
addition to his 20 years as McAllen's mayor; and
WHEREAS, Juggling numerous business and governmental
responsibilities was apparently not enough of a challenge for Mayor
Brand, so he found other jobs that needed doing; he played a key
role in establishing organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs
of McAllen and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and he
has been a member of numerous boards and committees; all in all,
this mover and shaker has proven himself capable of excelling in
darn near anything he sets his mind to, and McAllen has become a
better place as a result; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Mayor Brand has also cultivated a
fine family; he and his wife have four children and also relish the
time they spend with their numerous grandchildren and
great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, In his many decades as a community leader, Othal
Brand has time and again demonstrated an unwavering determination
to follow his convictions and to bring others along for the ride,
and he has become a legendary figure whose achievements will
continue to resonate in South Texas for decades to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Othal E. Brand, Sr., for
his dedicated service to the city of McAllen and extend to him
sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Brand as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Gonzales
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 983 was adopted by the House on April
2, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House