82R6495 JNC-D
By: Marquez H.R. No. 309
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of El Paso lost one of their most admired
community leaders with the death of Anita Blair on August 25, 2010,
at the age of 93; and
WHEREAS, A native of the Sun City, Ms. Blair was born on
September 8, 1916; the course of her life was forever changed
shortly after her graduation from Austin High School, when she was
blinded in an automobile accident; determined to regain her
independence, she became the first El Paso resident to receive a
Seeing Eye dog, a German shepherd that enabled her to sustain her
mobility and move forward with confidence and a renewed hope for a
promising future; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Blair earned a bachelor's degree from Texas
College of Mines & Metallurgy and accomplished a remarkable feat in
1953 when she became the first blind woman elected to any state
legislature; during her term in the Texas House of Representatives,
she championed safety legislation and the rights of the disabled,
serving on the committees of Education, Public Lands and Buildings,
School Districts, and State Hospitals and Special Schools; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her service in the house, Ms. Blair
served as a member of Harry Truman's Presidential Safety Committee
and as a valued resource for the El Paso City Council and County
Commissioners Court; and
WHEREAS, Though it is impossible to gauge the full effect of a
person's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark on
the world as they move through it, and Anita Blair's contributions
to her community will long resonate in the lives of all who knew
her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Anita Blair and
extend deepest sympathy to all those who mourn her passing; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Anita
Blair.