H.R. No. 224
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of U.S.
Army Colonel (Ret.) James Lloyd Hayden of El Paso, who passed away
on June 7, 2011, at the age of 87; and
WHEREAS, Born in New York on August 14, 1923, "Buster" Hayden
was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of U.S. Military Academy
graduates; he spent his early years at West Point, while his father
was an instructor there, and he later returned to the academy as a
member of the Class of 1945; and
WHEREAS, Colonel Hayden's first assignment was with the
postwar occupation force in Germany; he later served as a battery
commander during the Korean War, commanded two battalions in
Germany, and held key posts in the Pentagon and with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff; he retired in 1975 as chief of tactics at Fort
Bliss, concluding a distinguished 30-year military career; and
WHEREAS, Retirement scarcely marked the end of Colonel
Hayden's service to the army or to this country, however; in 1976 he
became a West Point admissions representative, a post he held until
just a few days before his death; for the past 15 years he also
chaired the Military Academy Advisory Board for Congressman
Silvestre Reyes; and
WHEREAS, In his volunteer role assisting the West Point
admissions office, Colonel Hayden spent countless hours
interviewing and counseling prospective cadets and their families;
he continued to stay in contact with students even after their
admission to the academy, offering support and encouragement, and
in many cases he followed their careers after graduation;
altogether, Colonel Hayden worked with more than 600 cadets, a
number reportedly unsurpassed by any other admissions
representative; and
WHEREAS, Among the El Paso students whose ability Colonel
Hayden recognized and whom he helped to steer toward West Point are
Major General Dana Pittard, who currently serves as the commander
of Fort Bliss, and Brigadier General Heidi Brown, who has just been
named the deputy commander of test and assessment for the Missile
Defense Agency in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; and
WHEREAS, Colonel Hayden gave generously of his time and
talents in behalf of many other worthy causes as well; he served as
a member of the West Point Association of Graduates Board of
Trustees and as president of the Fort Bliss West Point Alumni
Association, founded the West Point Parents Club of El Paso, and sat
on numerous boards and committees; and
WHEREAS, Repeatedly recognized for his exceptional
contributions, Colonel Hayden was a recipient of the prestigious
West Point Distinguished Graduate Award and the first recipient of
the USMA Admissions Distinguished Service Award; the secretary of
the army presented him with the Department of the Army Decoration
for Exceptional Civilian Service, and in 2010 the Colonel James
Hayden Hall, new home to the 31st ADA Brigade headquarters, was
dedicated in his honor at Fort Sill; the mayor of El Paso also
conferred on him the city's highest honor, the Conquistador Award;
and
WHEREAS, James Hayden and his wife, the former Eoline T.
"Sugar" Thompson, exchanged their wedding vows on October 17, 1947,
on Governor's Island, New York; they shared a deeply rewarding
union, and over the years they became the proud parents of a son and
five daughters; and
WHEREAS, An exceptional leader, Colonel Hayden was held in
the greatest respect for his unshakeable integrity, keen analytical
mind, and genuine concern for others; hundreds of young Texans
developed into capable leaders themselves with the aid of his wise
counsel, and his transformative influence will live on through
them, as it will through all those whose lives he touched and
enriched; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
of Colonel (Ret.) James Lloyd Hayden and extend sincere sympathy to
the members of his family: to his wife of 64 years, Sugar Hayden; to
his 6 children and their spouses; to his 16 grandchildren and 11
great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and 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 Colonel
(Ret.) James Lloyd Hayden.
Margo
Marquez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 224 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on June 28, 2011.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House