84R8439 BPG-D
By: Raymond H.R. No. 532
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, An exhibition of works by J. Griffis Smith is
opening at the Texas Capitol Visitors Center on February 28, 2015,
and this event provides a welcome opportunity to recognize this
acclaimed photographer; and
WHEREAS, For three decades, Griff Smith's photographs
enlivened the pages of Texas Highways, the official travel magazine
of the Texas Department of Transportation, and he served as photo
editor from December 2008 until his retirement in August 2014; his
compelling images introduced readers to every corner of the Lone
Star State and inspired many to hit the road themselves, although
few individuals can match the estimated 250,000 miles he roamed in
the course of documenting the beauty and diversity of the state; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Smith, a Caldwell native, became a shutterbug
during his senior year in high school, when his father, Joe C.
Smith, encouraged him to shoot a roll of Kodachrome a day; with his
friends, he traveled the back roads fulfilling this mission, and it
sparked the desire to create beautiful color photographs of Texas;
he went on to complete his associate's degree in photography at the
Art Institute of Atlanta, but he soon grew lonesome for wide-open
spaces and headed home; after six years as a public relations
photographer for Texas A&M University, he joined TxDOT in 1984; his
keen sense of detail, tremendous technical skill, and eye for the
offbeat earned the admiration of peers and subscribers alike, and
his artfully composed images helped Texas Highways become a
top-tier publication; and
WHEREAS, In Fall 2014, Texas A&M University Press published
On the Road with Texas Highways: A Tribute to True Texas, a coffee
table book of signature photos from Mr. Smith's remarkable career;
the subjects include Texas icons, landscapes, people, and
historical and cultural destinations; he is now the proprietor of
an Austin-based travel photography and tourism consulting firm,
True Griff Media, and of the website TrueGriff.com; and
WHEREAS, Through his lens, Griff Smith has captured unique
images of the Lone Star State that will continue to beguile
innumerable people for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor J. Griffis Smith on the occasion of his
exhibition at the Capitol Visitors Center and commend him for his
three decades of exemplary service to the Texas Department of
Transportation and Texas Highways; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Smith as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.