H.R. No. 405
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
death of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas, who passed away on
January 20, 2017, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, Donald Fielding was born in Dallas on July 7, 1922;
he graduated from Forest Avenue High School as valedictorian at the
age of 15, and that same year he enrolled in the Wharton School at
the University of Pennsylvania, in pursuit of a career in the
foreign service; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from the Wharton School in 1942,
Mr. Fielding attended the University of Havana briefly before his
induction into the U.S. Army; he attended the Infantry Officer
Candidate School and went on to serve as an operations and training
staff officer until his discharge at the rank of second lieutenant
in 1946; and
WHEREAS, Following his return to Dallas, Mr. Fielding joined
the family business, National Shoes, where he worked for 42 years,
opening several additional locations in 1958, 1968, and 1977;
National Shoes was the oldest family-owned business in downtown
Dallas at the time, and, thanks to Mr. Fielding, the first downtown
retail establishment to hire an African American salesman; the
business also joined with a charity, Brother Bill's Helping Hand,
to provide shoes to needy children; and
WHEREAS, A powerful voice in Dallas politics from the 1960s
until the 1990s, Mr. Fielding took a particular interest in
education; he played a leading role in the establishment of the
Citizens' Committee for Better Schools and the League for
Educational Advancement in Dallas, which provided textbooks to poor
and underserved students in South and West Dallas, and he founded
Operation Employment, a Neighborhood Youth Corps project that
helped school dropouts obtain meaningful and productive work; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Fielding also helped found Citizens for
Representative Government, a group that was instrumental in pushing
for single-member districts; an active participant in the civil
rights movement, he marched for the integration of the Piccadilly
Cafeteria; he held several leadership positions in the Boy Scouts
of America, including chair of the High Trail Scout District, and he
started the first Hispanic Boy Scout troop in West Dallas;
moreover, he was the author of a book, Assassination and Education:
A Guide to Dallas; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Fielding married Virginia Lee Tipton in 1950,
and they shared a rewarding union that spanned 63 years, until her
death in 2013; the couple were the proud parents of four children,
Ronnie, Linda, B. Donald, and Paul, and they were blessed with many
grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an engaged citizen, Donald
Fielding lived a life rich with purpose, and he leaves behind a
record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Donald Benjamin
Fielding and extend sincere condolences to his 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 Donald
Fielding.
Button
Burkett
Villalba
Meyer
Straus Goldman Oliverson Straus Goldman Oliverson
Straus Goldman Oliverson
Allen Gonzales of Williamson Ortega Allen Gonzales of Williamson Ortega
Allen Gonzales of Williamson Ortega
Alonzo González of El Paso Paddie Alonzo González of El Paso Paddie
Alonzo González of El Paso Paddie
Alvarado Gooden Parker Alvarado Gooden Parker
Alvarado Gooden Parker
Anchia Guerra Paul Anchia Guerra Paul
Anchia Guerra Paul
Anderson of Dallas Guillen Perez Anderson of Dallas Guillen Perez
Anderson of Dallas Guillen Perez
Anderson of McLennan Gutierrez Phelan Anderson of McLennan Gutierrez Phelan
Anderson of McLennan Gutierrez Phelan
Arévalo Hefner Phillips Arévalo Hefner Phillips
Arévalo Hefner Phillips
Ashby Hernandez Pickett Ashby Hernandez Pickett
Ashby Hernandez Pickett
Bailes Herrero Price Bailes Herrero Price
Bailes Herrero Price
Bell Hinojosa Raney Bell Hinojosa Raney
Bell Hinojosa Raney
Bernal Holland Raymond Bernal Holland Raymond
Bernal Holland Raymond
Biedermann Howard Reynolds Biedermann Howard Reynolds
Biedermann Howard Reynolds
Blanco Huberty Rinaldi Blanco Huberty Rinaldi
Blanco Huberty Rinaldi
Bohac Hunter Roberts Bohac Hunter Roberts
Bohac Hunter Roberts
Bonnen of Brazoria Isaac Rodriguez of Bexar Bonnen of Brazoria Isaac Rodriguez of Bexar
Bonnen of Brazoria Isaac Rodriguez of Bexar
Bonnen of Galveston Israel Rodriguez of Travis Bonnen of Galveston Israel Rodriguez of Travis
Bonnen of Galveston Israel Rodriguez of Travis
Burkett Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr. Burkett Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr.
Burkett Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr.
Burns Johnson of Harris Rose Burns Johnson of Harris Rose
Burns Johnson of Harris Rose
Burrows Kacal Sanford Burrows Kacal Sanford
Burrows Kacal Sanford
Button Keough Schaefer Button Keough Schaefer
Button Keough Schaefer
Cain King of Hemphill Schofield Cain King of Hemphill Schofield
Cain King of Hemphill Schofield
Canales King of Parker Schubert Canales King of Parker Schubert
Canales King of Parker Schubert
Capriglione King of Uvalde Shaheen Capriglione King of Uvalde Shaheen
Capriglione King of Uvalde Shaheen
Clardy Klick Sheffield Clardy Klick Sheffield
Clardy Klick Sheffield
Coleman Koop Shine Coleman Koop Shine
Coleman Koop Shine
Collier Krause Simmons Collier Krause Simmons
Collier Krause Simmons
Cook Kuempel Smithee Cook Kuempel Smithee
Cook Kuempel Smithee
Cortez Lambert Springer Cortez Lambert Springer
Cortez Lambert Springer
Cosper Landgraf Stephenson Cosper Landgraf Stephenson
Cosper Landgraf Stephenson
Craddick Lang Stickland Craddick Lang Stickland
Craddick Lang Stickland
Cyrier Larson Stucky Cyrier Larson Stucky
Cyrier Larson Stucky
Dale Laubenberg Swanson Dale Laubenberg Swanson
Dale Laubenberg Swanson
Darby Leach Thierry Darby Leach Thierry
Darby Leach Thierry
Davis of Dallas Longoria Thompson of Brazoria Davis of Dallas Longoria Thompson of Brazoria
Davis of Dallas Longoria Thompson of Brazoria
Davis of Harris Lozano Thompson of Harris Davis of Harris Lozano Thompson of Harris
Davis of Harris Lozano Thompson of Harris
Dean Lucio III Tinderholt Dean Lucio III Tinderholt
Dean Lucio III Tinderholt
Deshotel Martinez Turner Deshotel Martinez Turner
Deshotel Martinez Turner
Dukes Metcalf Uresti Dukes Metcalf Uresti
Dukes Metcalf Uresti
Dutton Meyer VanDeaver Dutton Meyer VanDeaver
Dutton Meyer VanDeaver
Elkins Miller Villalba Elkins Miller Villalba
Elkins Miller Villalba
Faircloth Minjarez Vo Faircloth Minjarez Vo
Faircloth Minjarez Vo
Fallon Moody Walle Fallon Moody Walle
Fallon Moody Walle
Farrar Morrison White Farrar Morrison White
Farrar Morrison White
Flynn Muñoz, Jr. Wilson Flynn Muñoz, Jr. Wilson
Flynn Muñoz, Jr. Wilson
Frank Murphy Workman Frank Murphy Workman
Frank Murphy Workman
Frullo Murr Wray Frullo Murr Wray
Frullo Murr Wray
Geren Neave Wu Geren Neave Wu
Geren Neave Wu
Gervin-Hawkins Nevárez Zedler Gervin-Hawkins Nevárez Zedler
Gervin-Hawkins Nevárez Zedler
Giddings Oliveira Zerwas Giddings Oliveira Zerwas
Giddings Oliveira Zerwas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 405 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on February 14, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Straus Goldman Oliverson
Allen Gonzales of Williamson Ortega
Alonzo González of El Paso Paddie
Alvarado Gooden Parker
Anchia Guerra Paul
Anderson of Dallas Guillen Perez
Anderson of McLennan Gutierrez Phelan
Arévalo Hefner Phillips
Ashby Hernandez Pickett
Bailes Herrero Price
Bell Hinojosa Raney
Bernal Holland Raymond
Biedermann Howard Reynolds
Blanco Huberty Rinaldi
Bohac Hunter Roberts
Bonnen of Brazoria Isaac Rodriguez of Bexar
Bonnen of Galveston Israel Rodriguez of Travis
Burkett Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr.
Burns Johnson of Harris Rose
Burrows Kacal Sanford
Button Keough Schaefer
Cain King of Hemphill Schofield
Canales King of Parker Schubert
Capriglione King of Uvalde Shaheen
Clardy Klick Sheffield
Coleman Koop Shine
Collier Krause Simmons
Cook Kuempel Smithee
Cortez Lambert Springer
Cosper Landgraf Stephenson
Craddick Lang Stickland
Cyrier Larson Stucky
Dale Laubenberg Swanson
Darby Leach Thierry
Davis of Dallas Longoria Thompson of Brazoria
Davis of Harris Lozano Thompson of Harris
Dean Lucio III Tinderholt
Deshotel Martinez Turner
Dukes Metcalf Uresti
Dutton Meyer VanDeaver
Elkins Miller Villalba
Faircloth Minjarez Vo
Fallon Moody Walle
Farrar Morrison White
Flynn Muñoz, Jr. Wilson
Frank Murphy Workman
Frullo Murr Wray
Geren Neave Wu
Gervin-Hawkins Nevárez Zedler
Giddings Oliveira Zerwas