84R31530 KSM-F
By: Parker H.C.R. No. 130
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, John Wayne is the prototypical American hero,
symbolizing such traits as self-reliance, grace under pressure,
resolve, and patriotism; and
WHEREAS, Born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, in
Winterset, Iowa, he moved with his parents as a young boy to
California; in 1916, while the family was living in Glendale, he
began going by "Duke," a nickname that followed him throughout his
life; and
WHEREAS, In 1925, he began attending the University of
Southern California on a football scholarship, playing offensive
lineman; after breaking his collarbone in a surfing accident before
his junior year, he withdrew from the university and found
employment with Fox Film Corporation as a laborer moving set props
and as an occasional extra in movies; and
WHEREAS, While working at the studio, he met Wyatt Earp, who
was serving as a consultant to Western film director John Ford, and
he subsequently adopted some of Earp's mannerisms for his roles as a
cowboy; and
WHEREAS, The first film in which he appeared as the leading
actor was The Big Trail, released in 1930; it was then that the
studio gave him the screen name "John Wayne," which he would use for
the remainder of his acting career; and
WHEREAS, Starring in classic Western films such as
Stagecoach, Red River, The Searchers, and True Grit, Wayne
personified the archetypal cowboy who is rough-edged and
plainspoken, but who is also capable of great warmth, kindness, and
generosity; he won an Oscar in 1970 for Best Actor for his role as
Rooster Cogburn in True Grit; and
WHEREAS, Although best known for his Westerns, John Wayne
starred in many movies in other genres, such as the World War II
films Flying Tigers and Sands of Iwo Jima; and
WHEREAS, Wayne was an avid supporter of the United States
military and toured bases and hospitals in the South Pacific in 1943
and 1944 with the United Service Organizations; and
WHEREAS, In The Alamo, his first film as a director, John
Wayne played the role of Davy Crockett; the film won an Oscar
nomination in 1961 for Best Picture; Wayne also directed and
starred in The Green Berets, which was released in 1968 and which
was set in Vietnam; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his acting career, John Wayne
practically invented the Western hero by combining rugged
masculinity with the courage to stand up to authority when
necessary, the strength to match any opponent, and the
determination to prevail against great odds; John Wayne endures as
a cultural icon, and his films continue to appeal to new audiences;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate May 26 as John Wayne Day; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section
391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
passed by the legislature.