H.R. No. 1053
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Zapata County are celebrating the
dedication of Bravo Park and the unveiling of a marker honoring its
namesake, Judge Manuel B. Bravo; and
WHEREAS, Born at El Rancho Sauz in Hidalgo County on May 2,
1901, Manuel Box Bravo began his career in public service in the
Hidalgo County courthouse tax collector's office; after moving to
Zapata, he ran a successful write-in campaign for county judge in
the 1936 general election; for the next two decades, he served his
fellow citizens with great diligence in that office; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bravo instituted a number of vital measures to
professionalize county operations; his sound fiscal management
allowed the county to significantly improve its educational system,
and he established a veterans vocational training school; in
addition, he persuaded taxpayers to approve the first bond election
in county history; and
WHEREAS, This visionary leader solicited government
assistance during droughts, lobbied for the establishment of a Soil
Conservation Service Office for Zapata County, and supported his
close friend Lyndon B. Johnson's 1949 farm bill, which provided for
telephone service to rural communities; when the construction of
the International Falcon Reservoir required the inundation of the
entire town of Zapata, plus five neighboring communities, he fought
for just compensation for area residents; in addition, he insisted
that the International Boundary and Water Commission set aside land
for the development of public parks for family gatherings and
recreation; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to social justice, Judge Bravo
helped establish the Edinburg Council of the League of United Latin
American Citizens in the late 1920s and served as its president; he
was a force in the civil rights movement as well and joined others
in condemning racial discrimination in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Following his retirement as county judge in 1957, he
continued to serve his beloved community; he was a longtime member
of the Knights of Columbus, and in 1973, he served on the local
citizens' advisory committee to the Texas Constitutional Revision
Committee; and
WHEREAS, Although Judge Bravo passed away on September 18,
1984, his myriad contributions continue to resonate in South Texas
and beyond; the spot chosen for Bravo Park, part of a historic land
grant given by the King of Spain, has long been used for picnics,
carnivals, and other festivities, and it is indeed fitting that his
memory be honored in a place where members of the community come
together in fellowship and celebration; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of Bravo Park and pay
tribute to the life and legacy of Judge Manuel B. Bravo.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1053 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 7, 2011.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House