1 | 1 | | 84R10730 BGU-D |
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2 | 2 | | By: Taylor of Collin S.C.R. No. 30 |
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3 | 3 | | |
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4 | 4 | | |
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5 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Honorable John Goodwin Tower greatly benefited |
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7 | 7 | | his state and his nation through his dedicated public service, |
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8 | 8 | | including nearly a quarter-century in the United States Senate; and |
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9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Houston on September 29, 1925, John Tower |
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10 | 10 | | served in the United States Navy during World War II on an |
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11 | 11 | | amphibious gunboat in the Pacific; he was discharged as a seaman |
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12 | 12 | | first class and remained active in the naval reserve until 1989, |
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13 | 13 | | when he retired with the rank of master chief boatswain's mate; and |
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14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Senator Tower earned a bachelor's degree in |
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15 | 15 | | political science at Southwestern University and a master's degree |
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16 | 16 | | in the same discipline at Southern Methodist University; he |
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17 | 17 | | accepted a position as an assistant professor at Midwestern |
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18 | 18 | | University in the early 1950s and continued his studies at the |
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19 | 19 | | London School of Economics; and |
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20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, He soon became a rising star in conservative |
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21 | 21 | | politics, and in 1960, he was elected as the first Republican |
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22 | 22 | | senator from Texas since Reconstruction; Senator Tower took on |
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23 | 23 | | numerous committee assignments in Washington and played a key role |
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24 | 24 | | in the modernization and expansion of the military as chair of the |
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25 | 25 | | Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Joint Committee on |
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26 | 26 | | Defense Production; he also served on the Labor and Public Welfare |
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27 | 27 | | and Banking and Currency Committees, among many others; he was |
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28 | 28 | | known for his skill at guiding legislation through Congress, and he |
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29 | 29 | | sought to stimulate economic growth, increase small business |
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30 | 30 | | opportunities, improve transportation systems, and encourage |
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31 | 31 | | strong financial institutions; working diligently in behalf of his |
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32 | 32 | | fellow Texans, he promoted agriculture as well as the energy, |
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33 | 33 | | fishing, and maritime industries; and |
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34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, After retiring from Congress in 1985, Senator Tower |
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35 | 35 | | served as President Ronald Reagan's strategic arms negotiator in |
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36 | 36 | | Geneva, and he further assisted the president by advocating for |
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37 | 37 | | ratification of a medium-range nuclear weapons treaty with the |
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38 | 38 | | Soviet Union; in late 1986, President Reagan appointed him as chair |
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39 | 39 | | of the special review board assigned to investigate the Iran-contra |
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40 | 40 | | scandals; and |
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41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan established a consulting company |
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42 | 42 | | in Dallas that served some of the nation's largest weapons |
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43 | 43 | | manufacturers, and from 1986 to 1988, he taught political science |
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44 | 44 | | as a distinguished lecturer at Southern Methodist University; in |
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45 | 45 | | 1990, President Bush named him chair of the President's Foreign |
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46 | 46 | | Intelligence Advisory Board; tragically, he died in a plane crash |
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47 | 47 | | the following year; and |
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48 | 48 | | WHEREAS, Through his leadership in national security and |
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49 | 49 | | foreign policy issues, John Tower made vital contributions to the |
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50 | 50 | | United States, and his tireless efforts to advance the interests of |
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51 | 51 | | the Lone Star State earned the lasting appreciation of his fellow |
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52 | 52 | | Texans; naming the State Insurance Building Annex in the Capitol |
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53 | 53 | | Complex in his honor would provide a most fitting tribute to his |
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54 | 54 | | outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
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55 | 55 | | RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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56 | 56 | | hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to rename the State |
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57 | 57 | | Insurance Building Annex the John G. Tower State Office Building as |
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58 | 58 | | a lasting tribute to this esteemed Texan; and, be it further |
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59 | 59 | | RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official |
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60 | 60 | | copy of this resolution to the chair and to the executive director |
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61 | 61 | | of the Texas Facilities Commission. |
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