H.R. No. 999
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Texans lost a tireless champion of higher education
with the death of former University of Texas at Austin president
William C. Powers Jr. on March 10, 2019, at the age of 72; and
WHEREAS, A member of the UT School of Law faculty for more
than four decades, Bill Powers took the helm of the university in
2006; he implemented sweeping reform of the undergraduate
curriculum, including the creation of mandatory signature courses
for freshmen, and he guided the establishment of both the School of
Undergraduate Studies and the Dell Medical School, the first new
medical school at a tier one public university in decades; his
commitment to increasing the four-year graduation rate brought a
dramatic improvement, from about 50 percent to nearly 70 percent;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Powers strived to make the university more
efficient and accountable while also raising $3.1 billion through
his eight-year Campaign for Texas; in addition, he launched the
ESPN-owned Longhorn Network, which is expected to generate $300
million over 20 years, much of that for the endowment of faculty
chairs; under his leadership, the construction of 13 major
buildings was commenced or completed; he established a vice
presidency to oversee diversity and community engagement, and he
was a stalwart advocate for the use of race and ethnicity as one
factor in admissions, pursuing the Fisher affirmative action case
all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and winning a landmark ruling;
moreover, he was a fierce defender of the academic values and
world-changing research that made his institution a "university of
the first class"; he enjoyed a sterling reputation in the higher
education community, and in 2013, he was elected chair of the
Association of American Universities, which represents the top
research universities in the U.S. and Canada; when he stepped down
as UT president two years later, his administration ranked as the
second-longest in UT history; and
WHEREAS, Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Mr. Powers was the son
of Mildred Rose Powers and William Charles Powers Sr.; he grew up in
Southern California and earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry
from the University of California, Berkeley; after serving in the
U.S. Navy for three years, he graduated magna cum laude from
Harvard Law School, where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law
Review; he clerked for a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit and taught at the University of Washington, the
University of Michigan, and Southern Methodist University before
joining the UT Law faculty in 1977; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Powers became one of the nation's foremost
experts on torts, and he was appointed by the prestigious American
Law Institute as Reporter for Restatement (Third) for Torts, the
most important text for practitioners in that field; his
outstanding work then prompted the ALI to name him the R. Ammi
Cutter Reporter; the author of numerous other articles and books on
tort law and legal philosophy, he was much in demand as a consultant
on a wide range of complex tort cases, and he argued 50 cases before
the Texas Supreme Court; at the same time, his teaching and
mentorship influenced generations of attorneys; and
WHEREAS, While serving as dean of the law school, Mr. Powers
was appointed to Enron's board of directors to lead an internal
probe of the company's financial dealings and its ultimate
collapse; his exhaustive report became a road map for more than a
dozen congressional and executive branch investigations of
corporate malfeasance, and it resulted in criminal prosecutions; in
the wake of the scandal, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to
strengthen financial and securities regulations; and
WHEREAS, After leaving UT, Mr. Powers became of counsel to
the Jackson Walker law firm, where he generously shared his
knowledge with newly minted attorneys and seasoned professionals
alike; he was the recipient of many accolades, among them the Robert
B. McKay Award from the American Bar Association and the French
Order of the Légion d'Honneur, and he was selected as the 2014
Alumnus of the Year by UC-Berkeley; and
WHEREAS, Bill Powers was a brilliant attorney, leading legal
scholar, and visionary standard-bearer for higher education, and
although he will be deeply missed by all who were privileged to
share in the richness of his life, he has left an indelible imprint
on both the practice of law and the educational landscape; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bill Powers and
extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of
36 years, Kim Heilbrun; to his children, Matt, Kate, Allison,
Annie, and Reid Powers; to his sister, Susan Powers; to his six
grandchildren; and to all who mourn his passing; 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 Bill
Powers.
Howard
Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble
Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble
Allen Guillen Oliverson Allen Guillen Oliverson
Allen Guillen Oliverson
Allison Gutierrez Ortega Allison Gutierrez Ortega
Allison Gutierrez Ortega
Anchia Harless Pacheco Anchia Harless Pacheco
Anchia Harless Pacheco
Anderson Harris Paddie Anderson Harris Paddie
Anderson Harris Paddie
Ashby Hefner Parker Ashby Hefner Parker
Ashby Hefner Parker
Bailes Hernandez Patterson Bailes Hernandez Patterson
Bailes Hernandez Patterson
Beckley Herrero Paul Beckley Herrero Paul
Beckley Herrero Paul
Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez
Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez
Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan
Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan
Bernal Howard Price Bernal Howard Price
Bernal Howard Price
Biedermann Huberty Ramos Biedermann Huberty Ramos
Biedermann Huberty Ramos
Blanco Hunter Raney Blanco Hunter Raney
Blanco Hunter Raney
Bohac Israel Raymond Bohac Israel Raymond
Bohac Israel Raymond
Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds
Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds
Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr. Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr.
Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr.
Bucy Kacal Rose Bucy Kacal Rose
Bucy Kacal Rose
Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal
Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal
Burrows King of Parker Sanford Burrows King of Parker Sanford
Burrows King of Parker Sanford
Button King of Uvalde Schaefer Button King of Uvalde Schaefer
Button King of Uvalde Schaefer
Cain Klick Shaheen Cain Klick Shaheen
Cain Klick Shaheen
Calanni Krause Sheffield Calanni Krause Sheffield
Calanni Krause Sheffield
Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr. Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr.
Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr.
Capriglione Lambert Shine Capriglione Lambert Shine
Capriglione Lambert Shine
Clardy Landgraf Smith Clardy Landgraf Smith
Clardy Landgraf Smith
Cole Lang Smithee Cole Lang Smithee
Cole Lang Smithee
Coleman Larson Springer Coleman Larson Springer
Coleman Larson Springer
Collier Leach Stephenson Collier Leach Stephenson
Collier Leach Stephenson
Cortez Leman Stickland Cortez Leman Stickland
Cortez Leman Stickland
Craddick Longoria Stucky Craddick Longoria Stucky
Craddick Longoria Stucky
Cyrier Lopez Swanson Cyrier Lopez Swanson
Cyrier Lopez Swanson
Darby Lozano Talarico Darby Lozano Talarico
Darby Lozano Talarico
Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry
Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry
Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt
Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt
Dominguez Meyer Toth Dominguez Meyer Toth
Dominguez Meyer Toth
Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas
Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas
Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant
Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant
Fierro Miller VanDeaver Fierro Miller VanDeaver
Fierro Miller VanDeaver
Flynn Minjarez Vo Flynn Minjarez Vo
Flynn Minjarez Vo
Frank Moody Walle Frank Moody Walle
Frank Moody Walle
Frullo Morales White Frullo Morales White
Frullo Morales White
Geren Morrison Wilson Geren Morrison Wilson
Geren Morrison Wilson
Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray
Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray
Goldman Murphy Wu Goldman Murphy Wu
Goldman Murphy Wu
González of Dallas Murr Zedler González of Dallas Murr Zedler
González of Dallas Murr Zedler
González of El Paso Neave Zerwas González of El Paso Neave Zerwas
González of El Paso Neave Zerwas
Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener
Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 999 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on April 8, 2019.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Bonnen of Brazoria Guerra Noble
Allen Guillen Oliverson
Allison Gutierrez Ortega
Anchia Harless Pacheco
Anderson Harris Paddie
Ashby Hefner Parker
Bailes Hernandez Patterson
Beckley Herrero Paul
Bell of Kaufman Hinojosa Perez
Bell of Montgomery Holland Phelan
Bernal Howard Price
Biedermann Huberty Ramos
Blanco Hunter Raney
Bohac Israel Raymond
Bonnen of Galveston E. Johnson of Dallas Reynolds
Bowers J. Johnson of Dallas Rodriguez
Buckley Johnson of Harris Romero, Jr.
Bucy Kacal Rose
Burns King of Hemphill Rosenthal
Burrows King of Parker Sanford
Button King of Uvalde Schaefer
Cain Klick Shaheen
Calanni Krause Sheffield
Canales Kuempel Sherman, Sr.
Capriglione Lambert Shine
Clardy Landgraf Smith
Cole Lang Smithee
Coleman Larson Springer
Collier Leach Stephenson
Cortez Leman Stickland
Craddick Longoria Stucky
Cyrier Lopez Swanson
Darby Lozano Talarico
Davis of Dallas Lucio III Thierry
Davis of Harris Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Dean Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Deshotel Metcalf Tinderholt
Dominguez Meyer Toth
Dutton Meza Turner of Dallas
Farrar Middleton Turner of Tarrant
Fierro Miller VanDeaver
Flynn Minjarez Vo
Frank Moody Walle
Frullo Morales White
Geren Morrison Wilson
Gervin-Hawkins Muñoz, Jr. Wray
Goldman Murphy Wu
González of Dallas Murr Zedler
González of El Paso Neave Zerwas
Goodwin Nevárez Zwiener