88R19680 CW-D
By: Craddick H.C.R. No. 94
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a business icon and
renowned philanthropist with the passing of B. J. "Red" McCombs of
San Antonio on February 19, 2023, at the age of 95; and
WHEREAS, Billy Joe McCombs was born in the small West Texas
town of Spur on October 19, 1927, and earned his nickname for his
mop of red hair; a star athlete in high school, he earned a
scholarship to play football at Southwestern University in
Georgetown in 1945, but he put his studies on hold the following
year to enlist in the United States Army; following his military
service, he enrolled at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, where he
met the love of his life, the former Charline Hamblin; the couple
exchanged wedding vows in November 1950; and
WHEREAS, Although Mr. McCombs studied law at The University
of Texas at Austin for a time, he changed course and began working
as a car salesman in Corpus Christi, a job that was a natural fit for
his talents and personality; by 1953, he had opened his first used
car dealership, and a year later, he added sports to his business
interests when he joined a friend in purchasing the Corpus Christi
Clippers minor league baseball team, the first of what would be many
sports franchise ventures; and
WHEREAS, Mr. McCombs's well-earned reputation for turning
around struggling businesses was demonstrated early on with a car
dealership in San Antonio, and his auto sales empire ultimately
expanded to more than 60 locations; he became a prominent figure in
the Alamo City, and his involvement was key to the staging of
HemisFair '68, which helped raise the community's stature
nationally and internationally; in 1973, he purchased the Dallas
Chaparrals basketball team and renamed it the San Antonio Spurs,
providing the city with its signature professional team, and he was
later instrumental in the opening of SeaWorld and the construction
of the Alamodome; and
WHEREAS, Demonstrating his business acumen in a broad range
of endeavors, Mr. McCombs co-founded the mass media corporation
Clear Channel Communications, which became iHeartMedia, and
invested in oil and gas, real estate, cattle, motion picture
distribution, and other industries; moreover, his enthusiasm for
sports ownership, which he cited as his favorite business, extended
beyond the Spurs and led to the acquisition of the Denver Nuggets
and the Minnesota Vikings, and to the building of the Circuit of the
Americas racetrack outside Austin; and
WHEREAS, A philanthropist of equally legendary stature,
Mr. McCombs supported a wide array of causes and institutions; in
2000, his gift of $50 million to The University of Texas at Austin
business school resulted in it being renamed the McCombs School of
Business, and his donation of $3 million toward women's athletics
at UT in 1997 led to the development of a new softball complex, the
Red and Charline McCombs Field; Mr. and Mrs. McCombs also
established the McCombs Foundation, which has contributed over $118
million in gifts, both large and small, to charities and
organizations based in San Antonio and other cities; in 2005, his
donation of $30 million to MD Anderson Cancer Center resulted in the
creation of another namesake facility, the Red and Charline McCombs
Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer; and
WHEREAS, This larger-than-life Texan was passionate about
collecting historical items, particularly Old West artifacts,
which included paintings, saddles, walking sticks, and antique
firearms; he eventually amassed around 7,000 of these items and put
much of his extensive collection on loan, with more than 1,000
pieces currently being housed at Southwestern University; and
WHEREAS, Of all the decisions he made, Mr. McCombs considered
marrying his wife, Charline, to be his best, and she was his partner
in life as well as philanthropy until her passing in 2019; he took
immense pride in his daughters, Lynda, Marsha, and Connie, and with
the passing years, his family grew to include numerous
grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Red McCombs left an indelible mark on the Lone Star
State through his storied entrepreneurial success and his generous
efforts to benefit communities, institutions, and worthwhile
causes throughout Texas, and he will be fondly remembered and
greatly missed by those who had the good fortune to know him; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the life of B. J. "Red" McCombs and extend
deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his daughters,
Lynda McCombs, Marsha Shields and her husband, John, and Connie
McNab and her husband, Sandy; to his grandchildren and
great-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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of
Red McCombs.