H.R. No. 707 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Tomas Guedea, Sr., was posthumously recognized by the Austin History Center in conjunction with its exhibit Mexican American Firsts: Trailblazers of Austin and Travis County; and WHEREAS, Honoring the important contributions made by Mexican Americans to Central Texas, the Austin History Center and its association joined with the Austin Public Library to organize the show, which ran from August 21, 2010, through January 16, 2011; Mexican American Firsts: Trailblazers of Austin and Travis County celebrated the pioneering achievements of 32 remarkable men and women and provided the public with an opportunity to learn more about their lives; and WHEREAS, One such individual, Tom Guedea, was honored for his achievements in sports; he moved from Dallas to Austin with his wife and family in 1941 and worked for a decade as a dental technician before opening Guedea's Store, which evolved into three groceries; in addition to offering no-interest credit to his customers, he showed movies on weekends to give young people a safe place to gather; and WHEREAS, Mr. Guedea founded the first Hispanic Golf Association in 1957, which has grown from 10 to more than 4,000 members, and he coached the Aztecs, the city's first semipro Hispanic baseball team; moreover, he received accolades from such organizations as the Capital Area Food Bank, the East Austin Lions Club, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program for his civic leadership; Mr. Guedea passed away in 1989; and WHEREAS, Through his outstanding accomplishments, Tom Guedea made a positive difference in his community, and his legacy is a source of pride and inspiration to many people; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Tomas Guedea, Sr., a Mexican American Trailblazer of Austin and Travis County. Rodriguez ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 707 was adopted by the House on March 17, 2011, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House