By: Seliger, Duncan S.C.R. No. 55
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the lives of John Clinton Formby and Margaret Clark
Formby; and
WHEREAS, This distinguished couple was widely admired
throughout the Panhandle and the state for their many contributions
to their community and their respective fields of endeavor; and
WHEREAS, John Clinton Formby, known as Clint Formby, was born
December 23, 1923, in McAdoo; after graduating from McAdoo High
School, he entered Texas Tech University; he left school to enlist
in the United States Army during World War II, and he served as a
staff sergeant and medic at the 235th General Hospital in
Marseille, France; and
WHEREAS, Margaret Clark Formby was born July 12, 1929, in Van
Horn; salutatorian of her 1946 class at Van Horn High School, she
attended Texas Tech University, where she became the first Miss
Texas Tech; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Clint Formby returned to Texas Tech
University, where he met Margaret, and they were married; while
attending school, he worked with his uncle on the construction of
the KPAN-AM radio station in Hereford, and his was the first voice
heard on the air when the station began broadcasting; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Formby had a lifelong interest in the role
women have played in western culture, and she built an impressive
collection of western and rodeo artifacts; to highlight the many
contributions that women made to the legacy of the West, she founded
the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Hereford, using her
collection as its foundation; the museum has since moved to the
heart of the Fort Worth cultural district, where it continues to
delight visitors from across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Formby crafted a long and illustrious career in
the radio industry; known on-air as the "Old Philosopher," he did a
daily broadcast on a wide variety of topics that ran for more than
half a century on KPAN-AM and FM, the longest-running daily radio
broadcast by a single host in the country; and
WHEREAS, The couple was active in numerous civic
organizations and each won numerous accolades for community
service; Mr. Formby served as president of the Deaf Smith County
Chamber of Commerce and of the Kiwanis Club, was named Citizen of
the Year, and in 1984 was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Texas
Association of Broadcasters; Mrs. Formby worked with the American
Cancer Society and the Kings Manor Methodist Home, and she helped to
establish the Cowboy Symposium held at Texas Tech University, where
she served on the board of the National Ranching Heritage Center;
she was also the first woman elected to the Texas Tech University
Rodeo Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Formby enjoyed more than 50 years of
marriage and raised five children, Larry, Marshall, Ben, and Scott
Formby, and the late Linda Kay Formby; and
WHEREAS, They were beloved by their family and countless
friends, and although they are deeply missed, their generosity of
spirit and their many accomplishments will continue to live in the
hearts and minds of those they left behind; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the lives and shared legacy of Margaret Formby
and Clint Formby; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for
their family as an expression of admiration and tribute from the
Texas Legislature, and that when the Senate and the House of
Representatives adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Margaret
and Clint Formby.