By: Branch (Senate Sponsor - Carona) H.C.R. No. 1
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2013;
May 2, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 15, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0;
May 15, 2013, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.C.R. No. 1 By: Uresti
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, John Goodwin Tower greatly benefited his state and
his nation through his dedicated public service, including nearly a
quarter-century in the United States Senate; and
WHEREAS, Born in Houston on September 29, 1925, John Tower
served in the United States Navy during World War II on an
amphibious gunboat in the Pacific; he was discharged as a seaman
first class and remained active in the naval reserve until 1989,
when he retired with the rank of master chief boatswain's mate; and
WHEREAS, Senator Tower earned a bachelor's degree in
political science at Southwestern University and a master's degree
in the same discipline at Southern Methodist University; he
accepted a position as an assistant professor at Midwestern
University in the early 1950s and continued his studies at the
London School of Economics; and
WHEREAS, He soon became a rising star in conservative
politics, and in 1960, he was elected as the first Republican
senator from Texas since Reconstruction; Senator Tower took on
numerous committee assignments in Washington and played a key role
in the modernization and expansion of the military as chair of the
Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Joint Committee on
Defense Production; he also served on the Labor and Public Welfare
and Banking and Currency Committees, among many others; he was
known for his skill at guiding legislation through Congress, and he
sought to stimulate economic growth, increase small business
opportunities, improve transportation systems, and encourage
strong financial institutions; working diligently in behalf of his
fellow Texans, he promoted agriculture as well as the energy,
fishing, and maritime industries; and
WHEREAS, After retiring from Congress in 1985, Senator Tower
served as President Ronald Reagan's strategic arms negotiator in
Geneva, and he further assisted the president by advocating for
ratification of a medium-range nuclear weapons treaty with the
Soviet Union; in late 1986, President Reagan appointed him as chair
of the special review board assigned to investigate the Iran-contra
scandals; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan established a consulting company
in Dallas that served some of the nation's largest weapons
manufacturers, and from 1986 to 1988, he taught political science
as a distinguished lecturer at Southern Methodist University; in
1990, President Bush named him chair of the President's Foreign
Intelligence Advisory Board; tragically, he died in a plane crash
the following year; and
WHEREAS, Through his leadership in national security and
foreign policy issues, John Tower made vital contributions to the
United States, and his tireless efforts to advance the interests of
the Lone Star State earned the lasting appreciation of his fellow
Texans; naming the State Insurance Building in the Capitol Complex
in his honor would provide a most fitting tribute to his outstanding
accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to rename the State
Insurance Building the John G. Tower State Office Building as a
lasting tribute to this esteemed Texan; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the chair and executive director of the
Texas Facilities Commission.
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