H.R. No. 2691
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, William A. Mitchell, a retired colonel in the U.S.
Air Force and a professor emeritus at Baylor University, has long
devoted his talents and energies to work with a higher purpose; and
WHEREAS, Determined as a teenager to enlist in the military,
even though he was underage at the time, Bill Mitchell fabricated a
new birth certificate for himself and joined the 36th Infantry
Division of the Texas National Guard in Clifton; as soon as he
completed the six months' training required to go on active duty, he
enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served at Lackland and Travis Air
Force Bases before being stationed overseas at Wheelus Air Base in
Tripoli, Libya; and
WHEREAS, Reassigned to Turkey in 1959, Dr. Mitchell later
completed a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he served as a civic
actions officer and flew missions in support of the army's Project
CHECO, analyzing and reporting on enemy attacks on Mekong River
convoys; during subsequent assignments in Turkey, he commanded the
Incirlik Air Base and the 724th Air Base Group at Izmir during the
Gulf War; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Mitchell retired from the air force at the rank
of colonel, following a career that took him to 30 countries over a
span of 34 years; he is the recipient of numerous military awards,
including the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star
Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan holds a bachelor's degree from
East Texas State University, a master's degree from the University
of California, Los Angeles, and a doctorate from the University of
Illinois; he has taught at the Air Force Academy and the Air War
College, and following his return to civilian life, he served for 20
years on the faculty at Baylor University, where he held the Jo
Murphy Chair in International Education; during his tenure at
Baylor, he established a study abroad program in Turkey and helped
to create the Center for Democracy at the University of Dohuk in
Iraq; a political scientist who works in the area of international
affairs, Dr. Mitchell has focused much of his research on Turkey,
where he lived for 10 years, and has more recently studied the
impact of colonialism in Francophone West Africa; he has published
widely on such topics as water management and disaster mitigation,
and he is currently at work on his third book; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Bill Mitchell has been
blessed with the love and support of his wife, the former Joan
Woodill; and
WHEREAS, Having made significant contributions in the course
of both his military and academic careers, William Mitchell remains
engaged in efforts to advance the causes of intercultural
understanding, democracy, and the well-being of peoples around the
world; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Dr. William A. Mitchell for his exemplary
service in behalf of his country and its highest values and extend
to him sincere best wishes for continued success in all his
endeavors; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Mitchell as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Anderson of McLennan
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2691 was adopted by the House on May
21, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House