H.R. No. 518
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The nation lost a pioneer of its space program with
the death of former Apollo 17 commander Eugene Andrew Cernan of
Piney Point Village on January 16, 2017, at the age of 82; and
WHEREAS, Gene Cernan was born in Chicago on March 14, 1934, to
Andrew and Rose Cernan; he entered the Navy ROTC program as a
student at Purdue University, and after receiving his bachelor's
degree in electrical engineering, he became a test pilot and was
assigned to Attack Squadrons 26 and 112 at the Miramar, California,
Naval Air Station; subsequently, he earned his master's degree in
aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School; and
WHEREAS, One of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in 1963, Gene
Cernan piloted the Gemini 9 mission three years later and became the
second American to walk in space; he went on to serve as the lunar
module pilot for the Apollo 10 mission, which descended to within
eight nautical miles of the moon's surface and sent the first live
television pictures from lunar orbit; in 1972, he commanded Apollo
17, the final moon mission, and with his crewmate, spent more than
three days on the lunar surface; they completed three remarkable
excursions to craters and the Taurus-Littrow mountains, collecting
250 pounds of rock and soil samples; when he climbed back into the
module to depart, Captain Cernan became the last human to leave
footprints on the moon, and for the rest of his life, he continued
to advocate powerfully for the renewal of missions to other worlds;
and
WHEREAS, From 1973 until 1976, Captain Cernan assisted in the
development of the joint U.S.-Soviet Union Apollo-Soyuz mission; he
retired in 1976 and became executive vice president of Coral
Petroleum before establishing his own consulting company, the
Cernan Corporation; in addition, he coanchored ABC-TV coverage of
the space shuttle program and served as chair of Johnson
Engineering Corporation; he was inducted into the U.S. Space Hall
of Fame and received a host of other accolades, among them the Navy
Distinguished Flying Cross, an honorary doctorate of engineering
from Purdue University, and the 2016 Neil Armstrong Outstanding
Achievement Award from the National Aviation Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Captain Cernan shared a fulfilling marriage with his
wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, and he was the proud father of Tracy Cernan
Woolie, stepfather of Kelly Nanna Taff and Danielle Nanna Ellis,
and the grandfather of nine; and
WHEREAS, Gene Cernan made lasting contributions to our nation
and to humankind through his historic role in the space program, and
his accomplishments will remain a source of tremendous inspiration
in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Eugene Andrew
Cernan and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing;
and, be it further
R
ESOLVED, 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 Gene
Cernan.
Cyrier
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 518 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 2, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House