83R21207 BPG-F
By: Branch H.C.R. No. 100
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable Jack Pope, a retired chief justice of
the Texas Supreme Court, is celebrating his 100th birthday on April
18, 2013, and this occasion provides an ideal opportunity to
recognize his immeasurable service to the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, At 100, Chief Justice Pope is by all accounts the
oldest living former state supreme court chief justice in modern
American history and the first to reach the century mark; he served
as a judge in trial and appellate courts for 38 years, giving him
the longest judicial tenure of any Texas Supreme Court justice; and
WHEREAS, During his exemplary service on the Court of Civil
Appeals in San Antonio, Chief Justice Pope reshaped Texas water law
by defining the Spanish roots of water grants in a seminal opinion
subsequently adopted by the Texas Supreme Court as its own, a rarity
in the annals of the court; years later, author James A. Michener
sought his expertise on the important role of water when
researching his acclaimed historical novel Texas; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable jurist began his career before the
advent of formal judicial training; his quest to educate himself in
the field led him to become a powerful advocate for professional
education for all Texas judges, a mission now carried on by the
Texas Center for the Judiciary; his efforts culminated in the
establishment of compulsory continuing judicial education and the
adoption of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct by the Supreme Court
of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Committed to the principle of justice for all
Texans, Chief Justice Pope created a means to fund legal assistance
for the poor; he devised a system to channel interest earned on
attorneys' client-trust accounts for the benefit of legal aid
organizations in the state; and
WHEREAS, His profound reputation for judicial integrity and
principled decision-making prompted his former Supreme Court
colleague Thomas M. Reavley to call Chief Justice Pope the greatest
jurist with whom he has served; this is high tribute indeed from
Judge Reavley, who has worked with judges on all but one of the 11
regional federal circuits in the United States, and who now has
senior status on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit;
and
WHEREAS, A cofounder of the Texas Supreme Court Historical
Society, Chief Justice Pope now is its chair emeritus; the
organization will soon publish a collection of his writings under a
title referencing his proud description of himself as a "common
law" judge; this volume will be the first in a new judicial history
series; and
WHEREAS, Born and reared in Abilene, Chief Justice Pope knew
from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a lawyer; as a youth,
he also showed the passion for learning that later marked his
distinguished career and that led him to champion judicial
education; he was a voracious reader and found inspiration in such
figures as the Roman historian Tacitus and orator Cicero and in the
American legal scholars Roscoe Pound and Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Jr.; and
WHEREAS, Jack Pope graduated from Abilene High School in 1930
and went on to attend Abilene Christian College, where he majored in
speech, earned letters as a member of the debate and tennis teams,
and served as president of the junior class and the student
association; subsequently, at The University of Texas School of
Law, he served as editor of the Texas Law Review; and
WHEREAS, Licensed by the bar in 1937, Chief Justice Pope
moved to Corpus Christi and joined the firm of his uncle, former
state representative Walter E. Pope; he quickly gained wide-ranging
experience in civil and criminal law and in New Deal-era labor and
transportation regulatory law; and
WHEREAS, He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for two years at
the end of World War II; upon returning to Corpus Christi in 1946,
he resumed the practice of law, but later that year, at the age of
33, he was appointed judge of the 94th District Court; he was the
youngest district judge then serving in Texas; and
WHEREAS, In 1950, Chief Justice Pope won the first of three
consecutive terms to the Court of Civil Appeals in San Antonio, the
first justice who was from south of Bexar County to be elected to
that court; he won election to the Supreme Court of Texas in 1964,
and during his years as an associate justice, he not only led
efforts for judicial and procedural reform, but also helped to
draft significant rulings on property rights; in 1982, Governor
Bill Clements appointed him chief justice, an office he held until
his retirement in 1985; and
WHEREAS, Known for the lucidity of his thought and writing,
he published more than 1,000 judicial opinions and over 70
law-related articles over the course of his career; and
WHEREAS, Since stepping down from the bench some 28 years
ago, Chief Justice Pope has continued an active life; he has served
as president of the Christian Chronicle National Council, an
advisory body created to serve the international newspaper of the
Churches of Christ, and coedited a volume about his ancestor John
Berry, a notable Texas pioneer; in 2011, he published My Little
United Nations, paying fond tribute to the multicultural team of
dedicated assistants and caregivers who have nurtured his soul and
body; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope credits Abilene Christian
University with providing an essential foundation for his success
in life, and in return for the invaluable lessons he learned there,
he has been one of that school's staunchest supporters; he joined
the ACU Board of Trustees in 1954 and for many years served on the
senior board; and
WHEREAS, In tribute to its esteemed graduate, ACU has
conferred on Chief Justice Pope its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
award, as well as its Change the World award; moreover, since 1989,
the school has bestowed scholarships on outstanding students who
are intending to pursue a career in public service, designating
them as Jack Pope Fellows; and
WHEREAS, Another institution that has benefited from Chief
Justice Pope's active involvement is the State Law Library, which
was created as a separate state agency in 1971 largely through his
efforts; Chief Justice Pope has served as a member emeritus of the
Friends of the State Law Library Board of Directors, and the Friends
have recognized him and another former chief justice, the late Joe
Greenhill, with the establishment of the Greenhill-Pope Law Book
Fund; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Pope is the recipient of four honorary
degrees and countless other accolades; in 2009, the Texas Center
for Legal Ethics presented him with its first Chief Justice Jack
Pope Professionalism Award, and in 2010 the judicial section of the
State Bar of Texas honored him with its inaugural Judicial Lifetime
Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, From their marriage in 1938 until her passing in
2004, Jack Pope and his wife, Allene, shared a richly rewarding
union; their family today includes two sons, Allen and Jackson
Pope, two grandsons, Drew and Ryan Pope, and two
great-grandchildren, Dylan and Peyton Locke; and
WHEREAS, Greatly admired for his intellect and integrity,
Chief Justice Pope has contributed significantly to jurisprudence
in the State of Texas, and it is indeed a privilege to join in
wishing him well on this special day; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby commend the Honorable Jack Pope for his exceptional service
to the Lone Star State and congratulate him on the momentous
occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Chief Justice Pope as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.