82R20606 JEN-D
By: Branch H.C.R. No. 9
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable Jack Pope, a retired chief justice of
the Texas Supreme Court who has rendered immeasurable service to
the Lone Star State, is celebrating his 98th birthday on April 18,
2011; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable milestone signifies the beginning
of the ninth year of the ninth decade of Chief Justice Pope's
accomplished life; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Abilene, Chief Justice Pope knew
from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a lawyer; as a youth,
he also showed the passion for learning that later marked his
distinguished career and that would make him an early proponent of
judicial education in Texas; a voracious reader, he found
inspiration in such figures as the Roman historian Tacitus and
orator Cicero and in the American legal philosophers Roscoe Pound
and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Abilene High School in 1930,
Jack Pope attended Abilene Christian College, where he majored in
speech, earned letters as a member of the debate and tennis teams,
and served as president of the junior class and the student
association; subsequently, at The University of Texas School of
Law, he served as editor of the Texas Law Review; and
WHEREAS, Licensed by the bar in 1937, Chief Justice Pope
moved to Corpus Christi and joined the firm of his uncle, former
state representative Walter E. Pope; he quickly gained wide-ranging
experience in civil and criminal law and in New Deal-era labor and
transportation regulatory law; and
WHEREAS, Though he was exempt from military service in World
War II because he was the father of two young children, Chief
Justice Pope enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1944 and served
stateside for the next two years; discharged in 1946, he returned to
the practice of law but later that year received an appointment as
judge of the 94th District Court and became, at the age of 33, the
youngest district judge then serving in Texas; and
WHEREAS, In 1950, Chief Justice Pope won the first of three
consecutive terms on the Court of Civil Appeals in San Antonio;
during his tenure, he issued a landmark ruling concerning the
Spanish roots of Texas water law, establishing a precedent that
continues to guide jurists to the present day; and
WHEREAS, Elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1964, Chief
Justice Pope helped to draft significant rulings on property rights
and judicial and procedural reform during his years as an associate
justice; in 1982, Governor Bill Clements appointed him to the post
of chief justice, an office he held until his retirement in 1985;
his tenure in that post was marked by the elimination of double
appeals and by other important reforms in court administration; at
the time he returned to private life, Chief Justice Pope's
cumulative service on the bench in trial and appellate courts made
him the longest-serving judge in the history of the Texas Supreme
Court; and
WHEREAS, Known for the lucidity of his thought and writing,
he published more than 1,000 judicial opinions and over 70
law-related articles during the course of his career; and
WHEREAS, Since stepping down from the bench some 25 years
ago, Chief Justice Pope has continued to lead an active life; he has
served as president of the Christian Chronicle National Council, an
advisory body created to serve the international newspaper of the
Churches of Christ, coedited a volume about his ancestor John
Berry, a notable Texas pioneer, and cofounded the Texas Supreme
Court Historical Society, which has named him chair emeritus; an
avid walker who is well-known among his neighbors for his habitual
jaunts, Chief Justice Pope was featured by an Austin television
station as he trained to walk 9.6 miles in celebration of his 96th
birthday, stretching to reach his toes with an ease that would make
a teenage athlete envious; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope credits Abilene Christian
University with providing an essential foundation for his success
in life, and in return for the invaluable lessons he learned there,
he has been one of that school's staunchest supporters; he joined
the ACU Board of Trustees in 1954 and has served on the senior board
since 1983; and
WHEREAS, In tribute to its esteemed graduate, ACU has
conferred on Chief Justice Pope its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
award, as well as its Change the World award; moreover, since 1989,
the school has bestowed scholarships on outstanding students who
are intending to pursue a career in public service, designating
them as Jack Pope Fellows; and
WHEREAS, Another institution that has benefited from Chief
Justice Pope's active involvement is the State Law Library, which
was created as a separate state agency in 1971 largely through his
efforts; Chief Justice Pope serves as a member emeritus of the
Friends of the State Law Library Board of Directors, and the Friends
have recognized him and another former chief justice, the late Joe
Greenhill, with the establishment of the Greenhill-Pope Law Book
Fund; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope is the recipient of four honorary
degrees and countless other accolades; in 2009, the Texas Center
for Legal Ethics presented him with its first Chief Justice Jack
Pope Professionalism Award, and in 2010, the judicial section of
the State Bar of Texas honored him with its inaugural Judicial
Lifetime Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, From their marriage in 1938 until her passing in
2004, Jack Pope and his wife, Allene, shared a richly rewarding
union; their family today includes two sons, Allen and Jackson
Pope, two grandsons, Drew and Ryan Pope, and two
great-grandchildren, Dylan and Peyton Locke; and
WHEREAS, Hailed for his intellect and integrity, Chief
Justice Pope has contributed significantly to jurisprudence in the
State of Texas, and it is indeed a privilege to join in wishing him
well on this special day; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby congratulate the Honorable Jack Pope on the joyous occasion
of his 98th birthday and extend to him profound appreciation for his
exemplary public service; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Chief Justice Pope as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.