82R16866 JGH-D
By: Raymond H.R. No. 1100
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas political scene has lost an insightful and
articulate voice with the death of legendary journalist Sam Kinch,
Jr., of Austin on February 1, 2011; and
WHEREAS, A seventh-generation Texan, Sam Kinch was born in
Fort Worth on February 18, 1940, to Sam Kinch, Sr., a newspaperman,
and Harriet Stokes Kinch, an educator; he grew up in Austin, where
he learned to love Texas politics at an early age, thanks in part to
the influence of his father, who covered the Capitol for the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram; the young Sam got his first taste of working
under the pink dome in 1954, when he served as a page in the Texas
House of Representatives during a special session; he graduated
from McCallum High School in 1958; and
WHEREAS, After serving in the U.S. Army, Mr. Kinch earned
both a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in
journalism and history from The University of Texas at Austin;
along the way, he worked for the Daily Texan, covering his first
session of the Texas Legislature in 1961 and his first
gubernatorial primary in 1962 and later serving as the paper's
editor; he also worked part-time and during the summers for
newspapers in Austin, Temple, and Fort Worth; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kinch married his high school sweetheart, the
former Lilas Janice Shelby, in 1963, and the following year, they
moved to Washington, D.C., where Mr. Kinch reported on national
politics for the National Observer, the Dallas Times-Herald, and
the Dallas Morning News; he and his family returned to Texas in
1970, and for the next 15 years he served as the chief state
political reporter for the Morning News; during that time, he won a
number of awards, including one for a story about his ride on a
plane that was hijacked to Cuba and another for his book Texas Under
a Cloud, which he coauthored with Ben Proctor, about the Sharpstown
investment fraud scandal; and
WHEREAS, Building on his experience covering the statehouse,
Mr. Kinch founded the newsletter Texas Weekly in the mid-1980s with
two friends; he was involved with the publication for 14 years
before selling his interest in it and entering semiretirement; Mr.
Kinch went on to coauthor two more books, Too Much Is Not Enough,
about state reform of campaign finance laws, and Crapshoot Justice,
about judicial election reform; and
WHEREAS, While he continued writing and consulting
part-time, Mr. Kinch also took great pleasure in traveling with his
wife, spending time outdoors, and listening to country and gospel
music; he especially enjoyed sharing laughs with his loved ones,
including his daughter and two sons, of whom he was extremely proud;
and
WHEREAS, To the end of his life, Sam Kinch remained
fascinated by Texas politics and history, and for more than 40
years, he informed and entertained the reading public with his
passion, intellect, and expertise; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Sam Kinch, Jr., and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
wife, Lilas Kinch; to his children, Keary Anjanette Kinch, Samuel
Sean Kinch, and Ashby McDalton Kinch; to his daughters-in-law, Jill
Savola Kinch and Amy Fowler Kinch; to his son-in-law, Tim
Evgenides; to his granddaughters, Amani Janice Kinch Alexander,
Shelby Auchincloss Kinch, Katherine Victoria Kinch, and Helen
Joanna Kinch Evgenides; to his grandsons, Griffin Ashby Kinch and
Samuel Rice Kinch; to his sister, Ann Walden, and her husband, Jack;
and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Sam Kinch,
Jr.