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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. James Edward Swink of Rusk on |
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| 6 | 7 | | December 3, 2014, at the age of 78, has brought a great loss to his |
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| 7 | 8 | | family, his friends, and the community that he so proudly called |
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| 8 | 9 | | home; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Born in Sacul on March 14, 1936, to Curtis and Allie |
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| 10 | 11 | | Mae Swink, Jim Swink was a standout performer on the Rusk High |
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| 11 | 12 | | School football and basketball teams; he gained All-District and |
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| 12 | 13 | | All-State recognition for his athletic talents, and after |
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| 13 | 14 | | graduating from Rusk High in 1953, he enrolled at Texas Christian |
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| 14 | 15 | | University on a football scholarship; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan continued his fine play at the |
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| 16 | 17 | | collegiate level, earning the moniker "the Rusk Rambler" as he led |
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| 17 | 18 | | TCU to consecutive conference championships and Cotton Bowl |
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| 18 | 19 | | appearances; he was an Academic All-American and All-Southwest |
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| 19 | 20 | | Conference player for the Horned Frogs, and he finished as the |
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| 20 | 21 | | runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy after an impressive |
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| 21 | 22 | | 1955 season in which he led the nation in scoring and was second in |
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| 22 | 23 | | rushing; though he was drafted by the Chicago Bears after |
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| 23 | 24 | | graduating from TCU, he chose to forgo professional football to |
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| 24 | 25 | | pursue a medical career, but he later returned to the field briefly |
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| 25 | 26 | | as a member of the Dallas Texans of the American Football League; |
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| 26 | 27 | | and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Following his graduation from The University of |
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| 28 | 29 | | Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Swink practiced medicine in |
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| 29 | 30 | | Tyler for three years and then answered his nation's call to duty as |
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| 30 | 31 | | a member of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War; he served as a |
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| 31 | 32 | | medic and rose to the rank of captain, and he was honored for his |
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| 32 | 33 | | dedicated service with both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star |
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| 33 | 34 | | Medal; after leaving the military and completing his residency, he |
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| 34 | 35 | | moved to the Fort Worth area and enjoyed a successful 35-year tenure |
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| 35 | 36 | | as an orthopedic surgeon; he retired from that practice in 2006 and |
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| 36 | 37 | | returned home to Rusk, but he later put his medical expertise to |
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| 37 | 38 | | work by serving as a member of the staff at the Rusk State Hospital |
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| 38 | 39 | | medical clinic from 2009 to 2014; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Widely admired for his achievements, Dr. Swink was |
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| 40 | 41 | | the recipient of a multitude of accolades, including the Doak |
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| 41 | 42 | | Walker Legends Award and induction into the College Football Hall |
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| 42 | 43 | | of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference |
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| 43 | 44 | | Hall of Fame, and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame; he was designated an |
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| 44 | 45 | | Outstanding Texan by the Rusk Industrial Foundation for his many |
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| 45 | 46 | | contributions to the local community, and one of his proudest |
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| 46 | 47 | | moments came in October 2014, when the Rusk High School football |
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| 47 | 48 | | field was renamed in his honor; and |
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| 48 | 49 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Dr. Swink enjoyed the love and |
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| 49 | 50 | | support of his wife, Jeanie, and he took great pride in his |
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| 50 | 51 | | children, Jed, Dan, and Charlie, as well as his two grandchildren |
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| 51 | 52 | | and two great-grandchildren; and |
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| 52 | 53 | | WHEREAS, An accomplished athlete, a respected medical |
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| 53 | 54 | | professional, and a caring husband and father, Jim Swink excelled |
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| 54 | 55 | | in all of those roles, and he will always be remembered with great |
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| 55 | 56 | | admiration and affection by all those who were privileged to know |
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| 56 | 57 | | him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 57 | 58 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 58 | 59 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Dr. James Edward |
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| 59 | 60 | | Swink and extend deepest condolences to the members of his family: |
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| 60 | 61 | | to his wife, Jeanie Swink; to his sons, Jed, Dan, and Charlie Swink; |
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| 61 | 62 | | to his grandchildren, Sam Swink and Heather Eiland and her husband, |
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| 62 | 63 | | Clay; to his great-grandchildren, Sophia and Theodore Eiland; to |
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| 63 | 64 | | his sisters, Mary Crump, Wilene Shuptrine, Vera English, and Ann |
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| 64 | 65 | | Phillips and her husband, George; to his brother, Joe Swink; and to |
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| 65 | 66 | | his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further |
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| 66 | 67 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 67 | 68 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 68 | 69 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. James |
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| 69 | 70 | | Edward Swink. |
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