H.R. No. 117
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Fort Worth and the surrounding area may
indeed take great pride in the new motion picture 12 Mighty Orphans,
which was filmed in their community and tells the story of a
legendary local football team; and
WHEREAS, Based on a book by Dallas sportswriter Jim Dent, 12
Mighty Orphans is about the Mighty Mites, the hardscrabble high
school football team of the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home in Fort
Worth during the Great Depression era; the team was coached by World
War I veteran Rusty Russell, who walked away from a better-paying
job to work at the orphanage in 1927; with few resources, the Mighty
Mites had to practice with two socks stuffed together instead of a
football, and they traveled to games in the back of Coach Russell's
smoke-belching Dodge pickup truck; and
WHEREAS, In spite of its hardships, the team won its first
game against Mineral Wells 34 to 14, and it went on to a remarkable
8-2 first season; in 1932, the Mighty Mites made it to the state
championship, and they reached the state semifinals in 1934, 1938,
and 1940; two players, Hardy Brown and Dewitt Coulter, later played
professional football, and one of the players from the first
season, Abner McCall, went on to become president of Baylor
University and a Texas Supreme Court justice; and
WHEREAS, Released by Sony Pictures Classics, this
inspirational story has been brought to the screen by director and
West Texas native Ty Roberts, with a screenplay by Lane Garrison,
Kevin Meyer, and Mr. Roberts; it stars Dallas native Luke Wilson as
Coach Russell, and it features performances by such veteran actors
as Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Wayne Knight, and Treat Williams;
the film was shot in and around Fort Worth in the fall of 2019, and
it provided employment to hundreds of local residents, utilized
area businesses, and featured such iconic locations as Farrington
Field and the Masonic Temple, as well as Yellow Jacket Stadium in
Cleburne and the Texas Pythian Home in Weatherford; and
WHEREAS, Joining an elite group of motion pictures to be shot
in Fort Worth, 12 Mighty Orphans places the national spotlight on
the city as a filming and tourist destination, while providing an
entertaining showcase for the remarkable story of the Mighty Mites;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the release of
12 Mighty Orphans and extend to all those associated with the film
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the cast and crew of 12 Mighty Orphans as an expression
of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Geren
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 117 was adopted by the House on
September 2, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House