| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 513 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, During his many decades as an elected official and |
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| 3 | 3 | | community business leader in McAllen, the Honorable Othal E. |
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| 4 | 4 | | Brand, Sr., has had a lasting . . . and lasting . . . and |
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| 5 | 5 | | lasting influence on the city of McAllen; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The mayor of McAllen from 1977 until 1997, this |
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| 7 | 7 | | tireless public servant helped guide the city through two |
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| 8 | 8 | | eventful decades that witnessed great economic and civic |
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| 9 | 9 | | progress in South Texas; while Mayor Brand may not have succeeded |
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| 10 | 10 | | in his valiant campaign to rid the city of grackles, there is no |
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| 11 | 11 | | denying that his efforts have made an indelible mark on his |
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| 12 | 12 | | adopted hometown; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Othal Brand was born on August 12, 1919, in |
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| 14 | 14 | | Grayson, Georgia, and began his love affair with vegetables soon |
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| 15 | 15 | | after his mother fed him his first spoonful of mushy peas; a born |
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| 16 | 16 | | entrepreneur, he entered the business world at a young age, and |
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| 17 | 17 | | he and his brother Bill established Brand Brothers Produce in |
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| 18 | 18 | | Atlanta, the city where he grew up; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Opting to put his budding fruit and vegetable |
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| 20 | 20 | | empire on hold during World War II, he enlisted in the United |
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| 21 | 21 | | States Marine Corps and served his nation in the South Pacific; |
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| 22 | 22 | | he returned stateside at war's end, and he and his wife, Kathryn |
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| 23 | 23 | | Louise, were joined in matrimony in 1945; whether it was due to |
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| 24 | 24 | | Mrs. Brand's good sense or some other factor, the couple moved in |
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| 25 | 25 | | the mid-1950s to McAllen, a town Mr. Brand had first visited in |
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| 26 | 26 | | the late 1930s; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Warm weather makes most people slow down a step or |
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| 28 | 28 | | two, but Othal Brand is not most people; once settled beneath the |
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| 29 | 29 | | South Texas sun, he went to work, teaming with Jack Griffin to |
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| 30 | 30 | | found Griffin & Brand of McAllen; the company grew into one of the |
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| 31 | 31 | | nation's largest vegetable producers, processors, and shippers, |
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| 32 | 32 | | and Mr. Brand became a titan of agriculture, eventually earning a |
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| 33 | 33 | | place in the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor for his contributions |
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| 34 | 34 | | to farming and ranching; in time, he sought elective office, |
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| 35 | 35 | | serving as a member of the school board and as a city commissioner |
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| 36 | 36 | | in addition to his 20 years as McAllen's mayor; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Juggling numerous business and governmental |
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| 38 | 38 | | responsibilities was apparently not enough of a challenge for |
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| 39 | 39 | | Mayor Brand, so he found other jobs that needed doing; he played a |
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| 40 | 40 | | key role in establishing organizations such as the Boys and Girls |
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| 41 | 41 | | Clubs of McAllen and the McAllen Economic Development |
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| 42 | 42 | | Corporation, and he has been a member of numerous boards and |
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| 43 | 43 | | committees; all in all, this mover and shaker has proven himself |
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| 44 | 44 | | capable of excelling in darn near anything he sets his mind to, |
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| 45 | 45 | | and McAllen has become a better place as a result; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | WHEREAS, Through the years, Mayor Brand has also |
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| 47 | 47 | | cultivated a fine family; he and his wife have four children and |
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| 48 | 48 | | also relish the time they spend with their numerous grandchildren |
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| 49 | 49 | | and great-grandchildren; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | WHEREAS, In his many decades as a community leader, Othal |
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| 51 | 51 | | Brand has time and again demonstrated an unwavering |
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| 52 | 52 | | determination to follow his convictions and to bring others along |
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| 53 | 53 | | for the ride, and he has become a legendary figure whose |
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| 54 | 54 | | achievements will continue to resonate in South Texas for decades |
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| 55 | 55 | | to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 56 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st |
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| 57 | 57 | | Legislature, hereby commend the Honorable Othal E. Brand, Sr., |
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| 58 | 58 | | for his dedicated service to the city of McAllen and extend to him |
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| 59 | 59 | | sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be |
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| 60 | 60 | | it further |
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| 61 | 61 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 62 | 62 | | prepared for Mr. Brand as an expression of high regard from the |
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| 63 | 63 | | Texas Senate. |
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| 64 | 64 | | Hinojosa, Lucio |
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| 65 | 65 | | ________________________________ |
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| 66 | 66 | | President of the Senate |
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| 67 | 67 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 68 | 68 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 69 | 69 | | the Senate on March 25, 2009. |
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| 70 | 70 | | ________________________________ |
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| 71 | 71 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 72 | 72 | | ________________________________ |
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| 73 | 73 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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| 74 | 74 | | ________________________________ |
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| 75 | 75 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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