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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Honorable John Goodwin Tower greatly benefited |
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his state and his nation through his dedicated public service, |
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including nearly a quarter-century in the United States Senate; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Houston on September 29, 1925, John Tower |
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served in the United States Navy during World War II on an |
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amphibious gunboat in the Pacific; he was discharged as a seaman |
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first class and remained active in the naval reserve until 1989, |
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when he retired with the rank of master chief boatswain's mate; and |
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WHEREAS, Senator Tower earned a bachelor's degree in |
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political science at Southwestern University and a master's degree |
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in the same discipline at Southern Methodist University; he |
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accepted a position as an assistant professor at Midwestern |
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University in the early 1950s and continued his studies at the |
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London School of Economics; and |
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WHEREAS, He soon became a rising star in conservative |
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politics, and in 1960, he was elected as the first Republican |
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senator from Texas since Reconstruction; Senator Tower took on |
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numerous committee assignments in Washington and played a key role |
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in the modernization and expansion of the military as chair of the |
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Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Joint Committee on |
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Defense Production; he also served on the Labor and Public Welfare |
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and Banking and Currency Committees, among many others; he was |
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known for his skill at guiding legislation through Congress, and he |
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sought to stimulate economic growth, increase small business |
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opportunities, improve transportation systems, and encourage |
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strong financial institutions; working diligently in behalf of his |
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fellow Texans, he promoted agriculture as well as the energy, |
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fishing, and maritime industries; and |
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WHEREAS, After retiring from Congress in 1985, Senator Tower |
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served as President Ronald Reagan's strategic arms negotiator in |
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Geneva, and he further assisted the president by advocating for |
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ratification of a medium-range nuclear weapons treaty with the |
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Soviet Union; in late 1986, President Reagan appointed him as chair |
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of the special review board assigned to investigate the Iran-contra |
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scandals; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan established a consulting company |
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in Dallas that served some of the nation's largest weapons |
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manufacturers, and from 1986 to 1988, he taught political science |
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as a distinguished lecturer at Southern Methodist University; in |
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1990, President Bush named him chair of the President's Foreign |
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Intelligence Advisory Board; tragically, he died in a plane crash |
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the following year; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his leadership in national security and |
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foreign policy issues, John Tower made vital contributions to the |
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United States, and his tireless efforts to advance the interests of |
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the Lone Star State earned the lasting appreciation of his fellow |
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Texans; naming the State Insurance Building Annex in the Capitol |
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Complex in his honor would provide a most fitting tribute to his |
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outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to rename the State |
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Insurance Building Annex the John G. Tower State Office Building as |
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a lasting tribute to this esteemed Texan; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official |
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copy of this resolution to the chair and to the executive director |
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of the Texas Facilities Commission. |