Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR1590 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 1590
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an admired educator and
6	6	demographer with the passing of former U.S. Census Bureau director
7	7	Steven Harold Murdock on April 7, 2023, at the age of 74; and
8	8	WHEREAS, The son of Lois and Raymond Murdock, Steve Murdock
9	9	was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, on June 2, 1948; after
10	10	graduating from North Dakota State University, he went on to earn
11	11	his doctoral degree in demography and sociology from the University
12	12	of Kentucky; he taught for a quarter century at Texas A&M
13	13	University, where he held a Regents Chair; for a decade, he held the
14	14	Lutcher Brown Distinguished Chair in Demography and Organization
15	15	Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio; in 2007, he
16	16	joined Rice University as the Allyn and Gladys Cline Chair in
17	17	Sociology, and he became the founding director of Rice's Hobby
18	18	Center for the Study of Texas; he was the author of dozens of books
19	19	and nearly 50 academic journal articles, and he was a caring mentor
20	20	to his Ph.D. students; and
21	21	WHEREAS, Dr. Murdock originated and institutionalized the
22	22	position of Texas state demographer; for more than 25 years, he
23	23	guided the Texas State Data Center and Texas Population Estimates
24	24	and Projections Program, taking a leadership role in the state's
25	25	efforts in the 1980, 1990, and 2000 decennial censuses; he also made
26	26	approximately 50 to 60 presentations each year on the changing size
27	27	and distribution of the state's population at the request of groups
28	28	such as legislators, school superintendents, and fellow academics;
29	29	President George W. Bush nominated him as director of the U.S.
30	30	Census Bureau in 2007, and his dedication to public service led him
31	31	to accept, even though the job would last only a year until the next
32	32	administration; he is credited with being the steady hand that kept
33	33	the 2010 Census on course during a period of transition; and
34	34	WHEREAS, Among numerous honors, Dr. Murdock received the
35	35	Distinguished Alumni Award from North Dakota State University, the
36	36	Faculty Distinguished Research Award from Texas A&M, and both the
37	37	Distinguished Rural Sociologist and Excellence in Research Awards
38	38	from the Rural Sociological Society; in 2005, he was named one of
39	39	the 25 Most Influential Texans by Texas Monthly; and
40	40	WHEREAS, Although Steve Murdock will be deeply missed, he
41	41	left behind a legacy of scholarship and service that will be
42	42	remembered and admired for years to come; now, therefore, be it
43	43	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
44	44	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Steven Harold Murdock
45	45	and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
46	46	wife, Mary Zey; to his stepson, James Collins Ferrell; to his
47	47	grandson, George Collins Ferrell; to his sister, Joann Lonbaken,
48	48	and her husband, Roger, and his brother, Lee Murdock, and his wife,
49	49	June; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further
50	50	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
51	51	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
52	52	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Steve
53	53	Murdock.
54	54	Dutton
55	55	______________________________
56	56	Speaker of the House
57	57	I certify that H.R. No. 1590 was unanimously adopted by a
58	58	rising vote of the House on May 19, 2023.
59	59	______________________________
60	60	Chief Clerk of the House