82R27323 BPG-D
By: Raymond H.C.R. No. 156
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In November 1963, many Texans were anticipating a
two-day visit to their state by President John F. Kennedy; and
WHEREAS, The president's itinerary included stops in Dallas,
San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, and the capital of the Lone Star
State, where he was to appear at the Municipal Auditorium on
November 22; the speech he planned to deliver in Austin that evening
included memories of his 1960 campaign tour of Texas with then vice
presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson and concluded with a call
for unity and renewed confidence in American ideals; and
WHEREAS, The assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas on
November 22, 1963, forever changed the United States of America and
its people; in the aftermath of that tragedy, the planned visit to
Austin became a somber footnote in the annals of Texas and the
United States; and
WHEREAS, The placement of a Texas Historical Marker near the
auditorium would serve to remind future generations of President
Kennedy's leadership and his special interest in the citizens of
the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the Texas Historical Commission to work with the City
of Austin to develop a unique design for an official Texas
Historical Marker in honor of President Kennedy, to be paid for
entirely with funds raised privately for this purpose, for
placement on or near the site of the Austin Municipal Auditorium;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That such marker include, among other appropriate
notations, these words from President Kennedy's intended remarks:
For our country is moving and it must not stop. It
cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time
for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency
will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted
are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party
alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind.
Our duty is not merely the preservation of political
power but the preservation of peace and freedom.
So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let
us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation's
future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed
confidence in our cause--united in our heritage of the
past and hopes for the future--and determined that
this land we love shall lead all mankind into new
frontiers of peace and abundance.
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an
official copy of this resolution to the chair of the Texas
Historical Commission.