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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Countless lives were touched by the kindness, |
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| 6 | 7 | | generosity, and philanthropic goodwill of Thomas Edward "Ed" Cole, |
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| 7 | 8 | | longtime benefactor of Stephen F. Austin State University, who |
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| 8 | 9 | | passed away on December 5, 2019, at the age of 97; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Born on July 22, 1922, in Homer, Louisiana, Ed Cole |
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| 10 | 11 | | was the son of Edna and Thomas Edwin Cole, and he grew up in Longview |
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| 11 | 12 | | with the companionship of two sisters, Johnette and Helen, and a |
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| 12 | 13 | | brother, Hiram; he attended welding school, worked at a shipyard in |
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| 13 | 14 | | Beaumont, and eventually joined the United States Air Force, which |
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| 14 | 15 | | deployed him to England during World War II; after being discharged |
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| 15 | 16 | | from military service in 1946, he found a job as a salesman for an |
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| 16 | 17 | | oil field supply company in Longview; his foray into the oil |
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| 17 | 18 | | industry led him to later found his own company, Cole Rental Tools, |
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| 18 | 19 | | in 1958; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Cole married the former Gwen Peck, the love of |
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| 20 | 21 | | his life, on February 14, 1966; the couple resided in New Orleans |
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| 21 | 22 | | until relocating to Nacogdoches in 1978; a self-made man and a |
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| 22 | 23 | | successful entrepreneur, Mr. Cole enjoyed giving of his own time |
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| 23 | 24 | | and resources to nurture the growth of the community and the |
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| 24 | 25 | | students at Stephen F. Austin State University; through the years, |
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| 25 | 26 | | he and his wife provided funding for numerous facilities on the |
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| 26 | 27 | | campus, including an art center and a concert hall; they also |
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| 27 | 28 | | endowed scholarships in music, theater, STEM, and basketball to |
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| 28 | 29 | | help finance the education of SFA students; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Cole were among the most celebrated |
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| 30 | 31 | | benefactors in SFA's history; the couple were regarded with |
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| 31 | 32 | | tremendous esteem and affection by the Lumberjack community, and in |
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| 32 | 33 | | recognition of Mr. Cole's storied devotion to the university, he |
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| 33 | 34 | | was presented with its prestigious Honorary Doctorate of Humane |
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| 34 | 35 | | Letters in May 2019; his involvement with SFA further included |
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| 35 | 36 | | serving as a trustee for the SFASU Foundation and a member of the |
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| 36 | 37 | | Lumberjacks Booster Club, Friends of Music, and the College of Fine |
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| 37 | 38 | | Arts Dean's Circle of Excellence, and he made frequent appearances |
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| 38 | 39 | | at athletic games and luncheons; he was also engaged in the wider |
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| 39 | 40 | | community as a member of the Nacogdoches Rotary Club and other |
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| 40 | 41 | | organizations; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Ed Cole left an indelible mark on Nacogdoches |
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| 42 | 43 | | through his altruism and commitment to higher education, and |
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| 43 | 44 | | although he is deeply missed, the contributions that he made over |
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| 44 | 45 | | the course of his extraordinary life will continue to resonate long |
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| 45 | 46 | | into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Thomas Edward Cole |
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| 48 | 49 | | and extend sincere sympathy to his loved ones; and, be it further |
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| 49 | 50 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 51 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 51 | 52 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Thomas |
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| 52 | 53 | | Edward Cole. |
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