H.R. No. 1133
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The many friends and admirers of the Honorable
William M. Hatten, retired judge of the 176th District Criminal
Court in Harris County, are gathering to celebrate his 97th
birthday and to honor him for his many years of public service; and
WHEREAS, A native of Houston, Bill Hatten was born on August
26, 1913, and graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1931; he
attended law school at night while working as a salesman and
deliveryman, graduating in 1934 and passing the state bar the
following year; and
WHEREAS, That same year, he entered into the practice of
civil and criminal law, and in 1943, he helped to defend German-born
Heinrich Meyer in the first denaturalization case in the Southern
District of Texas; a highly respected member of the legal
profession, he was appointed judge of a family law district court in
1964 by Governor John Connally; he was elected to the judgeship
later that year and reelected in 1968; and
WHEREAS, Three years later, Judge Hatten was appointed by
Governor Preston Smith to the 176th District Criminal Court; he was
elected the following year and returned to the bench by the voters
three more times; during his remarkable tenure, he was assigned the
high-profile multiple murder trial of Elmer Wayne Henley and David
Owen Brooks; Judge Hatten retired in 1988 at the age of 75 and has
since gone on to serve his fellow citizens as a senior and
substitute judge; and
WHEREAS, Equally accomplished as a community leader, this
esteemed Texan has shared his time and talents over the years with a
number of civic and charitable organizations; he has served as
president of the Texas Society for the Prevention of Blindness and
has distinguished himself as a member of the Harris County Juvenile
Board for more than two decades, chairing the buildings and grounds
committee; in addition, he led Boy Scouts Troop No. 138 and served
the scouts as a district vice chair; moreover, he is a former member
of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program board; and
WHEREAS, Judge Hatten has been a major force in the Fraternal
Order of Eagles for more than three quarters of a century, serving
as president of his local and state aeries as well as coordinating
the Fraternal Order of Eagles 1979 national telethon to raise money
for the Bob Hope School for children with disabilities in Port
Arthur; he also holds life membership in the American Legion and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars; and
WHEREAS, A man of strong faith, Judge Hatten is a longtime
member of All Saints Catholic Church in Houston and has been active
in the Knights of Columbus for more than 75 years; he helped to
organize the Catholic War Veterans of Houston and served as that
group's president and was the first president of the Northwest
Serra Club, an evangelical Catholic organization; and
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Bill Hatten enjoys the love
and support of his wife of more than 70 years, Dorothy, and they
take great pride in their family, which includes 5 children, 9
grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren; together the couple
have collected more than 10,000 books and magazines for
distribution to jails and hospitals, and they have delighted in
creating a haunted house for area children each Halloween; and
WHEREAS, Though it is impossible to gauge the full effect of a
man's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark on the
world as they move through it, and Bill Hatten's contributions to
his fellow Texans continue to resonate in the lives of all who know
him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable William M. Hatten on
97 years of life well lived and extend to him profound appreciation
for his many good works; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Judge Hatten as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Farrar
Walle
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1133 was adopted by the House on April
6, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House