84R9112 BPG-D
By: Hughes H.R. No. 2063
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the
passing of admired entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas Sharpe
Wilmeth of Daingerfield on January 5, 2015, at the age of 101; and
WHEREAS, The son of Leona and Delbert Wilmeth, Tom Wilmeth
was born in Chicago on October 2, 1913, and grew up in Indianapolis;
he demonstrated remarkable business acumen at an early age, selling
hot-roasted peanuts and strawberries door-to-door, and by the age
of 15, he had established Tom Wilmeth Radio Repair; he enrolled at
Purdue University when he was 16 and went on to complete his
bachelor's degree in electrical engineering magna cum laude; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wilmeth and his wife, Margaret, became the
parents of two children, Steven and Suzanne; after he was widowed,
he was fortunate enough to find love a second time with the former
Benette Laiken, and they shared a fulfilling marriage of more than
15 years; and
WHEREAS, During the Great Depression and World War II,
Mr. Wilmeth worked for IBM, Allis Chalmers, and A. O. Smith
Company; he and his brother, Harvey, founded Scot Industries in
Milwaukee in 1949, and with his engineering, design, and business
skills, Mr. Wilmeth built the company into an international
specialty tubing supplier with 13 plants across the country and in
Canada; even after his son, Steven, took over as president,
Mr. Wilmeth worked every day, excited to seek solutions to new
challenges; he also remained an avid sailor until the age of 99; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to education, Tom Wilmeth gave
generously of his time and resources to his alma mater; he helped
fund the library's first electronic database, and he served on the
Libraries Dean's Advisory Council for a decade; in 2004, Purdue
conferred on him its President's Council Distinguished Pinnacle
Award, and in 2013, he received an honorary doctorate of
engineering information literacy; the university will dedicate the
Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Library of Engineering and Science
upon its completion in 2017; over the years, Mr. Wilmeth was a
benefactor of the Boy Scouts, the Mayo Clinic, and other charities
as well; and
WHEREAS, Tom Wilmeth set an inspiring example through his
active lifestyle, his generosity, and his love of learning, and his
contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Thomas Sharpe
Wilmeth and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
family: to his wife, Benette Laiken Wilmeth; to his sister,
Rosemary Wilmeth Reeves; to his son, Steven Lytton Wilmeth, and his
wife, Victoria Berglund; to his daughter, Suzanne Wilmeth Anderson;
to his four grandchildren and eight 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 Tom
Wilmeth.