SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 472
In Memory
of
John William Hartman
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of John William "Bill" Hartman, who died
May 3, 2021, at the age of 79; and
WHEREAS, Bill Hartman was born on July 19, 1941, in
Houston; he grew up in Baytown, and he graduated from Robert E.
Lee High School in 1959; he went on to earn a degree in business
administration from Baylor University; and
WHEREAS, He began his long and distinguished career in
journalism as a teenager by working for his father at the Baytown
Sun; after his college graduation, he served as the editor and
publisher of the Bayshore Sun in La Porte before returning to the
Baytown Sun, where he worked as general manager until 1971; and
WHEREAS, After serving for a time as editor and publisher
of the Beaumont Enterprise & Journal, he founded Hartman
Newspapers, Incorporated, in 1974; the company grew, and today,
the business operates nine community newspapers across Texas,
including the Fort Bend Herald; and
WHEREAS, Bill strongly believed that the press should play
a role as a government watchdog, and his company encouraged
publishers to hold public officials responsible for their
actions; his insistence on plain language and on a strict
separation between news reporting and editorial content embodied
the highest ideals of journalism; and
WHEREAS, He was a tireless promoter of Fort Bend County,
and he held leadership positions in a wide range of professional
and civic organizations, including the Texas Daily Newspaper
Association, the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council,
and the Rosenberg-Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce; he was an
avid outdoorsman who raised Arabian horses and was a frequent
top-10 finisher in United States National Arabian and
Half-Arabian competitions; and
WHEREAS, He was devoted to his three children and six
grandchildren, and he gave generously to others; he was a man of
many talents and interests, and his enthusiasm for living each
day to the fullest was an inspiration to all who were privileged
to share in his life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of John William Hartman; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of Bill Hartman.
Kolkhorst
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 25, 2021, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate