| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Jack Sawtelle Blanton, a prominent Houston oil |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | executive and philanthropist, passed away on December 28, 2013, at |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | the age of 86; and |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Louise Wynn and William Neal Blanton, |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | Jack Blanton was born on December 7, 1927, in Shreveport, |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | Louisiana; when he was two, the family moved to Houston, where he |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | graduated from Lamar High School; he went on to attend The |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | University of Texas and received a degree in history in 1947 and a |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | bachelor of laws degree three years later; while at UT, he competed |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | in tennis, and the sport proved to be a lifelong passion for him; |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | and |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Blanton began working for the Scurlock Oil |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | Company in 1950 and quickly rose through the ranks to become head of |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | the company in 1958; he held the office of president and CEO for a |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | quarter-century and subsequently served Scurlock as chair before |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | retiring in 1988; and |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Mr. Blanton was dedicated to |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | the city of Houston and served on the boards of many businesses and |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | institutions, including Texas Commerce Bank, Southwestern Bell |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | Telephone, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Houston Methodist |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | Hospital, where he was a life trustee; he also chaired the Greater |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | Houston Partnership, a consortium of community-minded business |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | leaders, and he devoted time and resources to a number of charitable |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | groups, including the Scurlock Foundation, which he cofounded in |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | 1954; from 1990 to 2003, he served as chair of the Houston |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | Endowment, which contributes to a broad spectrum of programs in |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | such areas as education, health care, and the arts, and over the |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | course of his tenure, he shepherded the endowment's growth, from |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | $400 million to more than $1 billion; and |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Blanton also remained loyal to his alma mater, |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | and he served on the UT Board of Regents for six years, including a |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | two-year term as chair; in addition, he served as chair of the LBJ |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | Foundation and as president of the Ex-Students' Association, and he |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | was recognized with a Distinguished Alumnus and a Santa Rita Award, |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | the highest accolade bestowed by the Board of Regents; the |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | university paid special tribute to this esteemed benefactor with |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | the naming of the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art in his honor in 1997; |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | and |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, For five decades, Mr. Blanton enjoyed the love and |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | support of his wife, Laura Lee Scurlock, and they were blessed with |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | three children, Elizabeth, Jack, and Eddy; after Mrs. Blanton's |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | passing, Mr. Blanton was fortunate enough to find love again and he |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | married Cindy Davis; following her death, he met Ginger Renfroe at |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | his church, St. Luke's United Methodist, and the couple married in |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | 2002; over the course of more than a decade together, they shared a |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | profound commitment to their family, their faith, and their |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | community; and |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | WHEREAS, Jack Blanton earned great respect and admiration for |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | his business acumen and civic leadership, as well as for his |
|---|
| 54 | 55 | | generosity in sharing his success with institutions across the Lone |
|---|
| 55 | 56 | | Star State, and he leaves behind a legacy that will resonate long |
|---|
| 56 | 57 | | into the future; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 57 | 58 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|---|
| 58 | 59 | | Legislature pay tribute to the memory of Jack Sawtelle Blanton and |
|---|
| 59 | 60 | | extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
|---|
| 60 | 61 | | Ginger Renfroe Blanton; to his children, Elizabeth Wareing and her |
|---|
| 61 | 62 | | husband, Peter, Jack S. Blanton Jr. and his wife, Leslie, and Eddy |
|---|
| 62 | 63 | | S. Blanton and his wife, Kelli; to his grandchildren and |
|---|
| 63 | 64 | | great-grandchildren; and to his many other relatives and friends; |
|---|
| 64 | 65 | | and, be it further |
|---|
| 65 | 66 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 66 | 67 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|---|
| 67 | 68 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jack S. |
|---|
| 68 | 69 | | Blanton. |
|---|