| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 983 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, During his many decades as an elected official and |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | community business leader in McAllen, the Honorable Othal E. |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Brand, Sr., has had a lasting . . . and lasting . . . and lasting |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | influence on the city of McAllen; and |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The mayor of McAllen from 1977 until 1997, this |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | tireless public servant helped guide the city through two eventful |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | decades that witnessed great economic and civic progress in South |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Texas; while Mayor Brand may not have succeeded in his valiant |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | campaign to rid the city of grackles, there is no denying that his |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | efforts have made an indelible mark on his adopted hometown; and |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Othal Brand was born on August 12, 1919, in Grayson, |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Georgia, and began his love affair with vegetables soon after his |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | mother fed him his first spoonful of mushy peas; a born |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | entrepreneur, he entered the business world at a young age, and he |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | and his brother Bill established Brand Brothers Produce in Atlanta, |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | the city where he grew up; and |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Opting to put his budding fruit and vegetable empire |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | on hold during World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | Corps and served his nation in the South Pacific; he returned |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | stateside at war's end, and he and his wife, Kathryn Louise, were |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | joined in matrimony in 1945; whether it was due to Mrs. Brand's good |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | sense or some other factor, the couple moved in the mid-1950s to |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | McAllen, a town Mr. Brand had first visited in the late 1930s; and |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Warm weather makes most people slow down a step or |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | two, but Othal Brand is not most people; once settled beneath the |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | South Texas sun, he went to work, teaming with Jack Griffin to found |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | Griffin & Brand of McAllen; the company grew into one of the |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | nation's largest vegetable producers, processors, and shippers, |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | and Mr. Brand became a titan of agriculture, eventually earning a |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | place in the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor for his contributions to |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | farming and ranching; in time, he sought elective office, serving |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | as a member of the school board and as a city commissioner in |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | addition to his 20 years as McAllen's mayor; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Juggling numerous business and governmental |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | responsibilities was apparently not enough of a challenge for Mayor |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | Brand, so he found other jobs that needed doing; he played a key |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | role in establishing organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | of McAllen and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and he |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | has been a member of numerous boards and committees; all in all, |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | this mover and shaker has proven himself capable of excelling in |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | darn near anything he sets his mind to, and McAllen has become a |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | better place as a result; and |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, Through the years, Mayor Brand has also cultivated a |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | fine family; he and his wife have four children and also relish the |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | time they spend with their numerous grandchildren and |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | great-grandchildren; and |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | WHEREAS, In his many decades as a community leader, Othal |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | Brand has time and again demonstrated an unwavering determination |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | to follow his convictions and to bring others along for the ride, |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | and he has become a legendary figure whose achievements will |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | continue to resonate in South Texas for decades to come; now, |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | therefore, be it |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Othal E. Brand, Sr., for |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | his dedicated service to the city of McAllen and extend to him |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | further |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | prepared for Mr. Brand as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | House of Representatives. |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | Gonzales |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | I certify that H.R. No. 983 was adopted by the House on April |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | 2, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|