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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Fort Worth lost an esteemed public |
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servant with the passing of former mayor Bob Bolen on January 6, |
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2014, at the age of 87; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Chicago on April 10, 1926, Robert Eugene |
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Bolen was the son of Milford and Bee Bolen; he briefly attended |
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Texas A&M University before answering his nation's call to duty |
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during World War II by enlisting in the U.S. Navy and serving as a |
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gunnery officer aboard the USS Iowa; honorably discharged in 1946, |
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he subsequently reenrolled at TAMU, where he received a bachelor's |
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degree in business administration in 1948; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Bolen began his career by working for McCrory |
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Stores, following in the footsteps of his father, a longtime |
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manager with the company; while employed at a store in Syracuse, New |
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York, he met Frances Ciborowski, and the two later married; through |
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the years, they were blessed with a treasured family of six |
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children; and |
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WHEREAS, After Mr. Bolen and his family settled in Fort |
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Worth, he left McCrory to open a shop that sold toys and bicycles, |
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and he later expanded his operation to include 20 Hallmark card |
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stores across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and in San Antonio; |
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in 1979, he decided to pursue public office and was elected as the |
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District 6 representative on the Fort Worth City Council; he |
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quickly garnered the respect of his constituents and colleagues, |
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and voters chose him as the city's mayor in a special election in |
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1982; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Bolen went on to distinguish himself during a |
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nine-year tenure in that office, becoming the city's |
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longest-serving mayor; he compiled an impressive list of |
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accomplishments, overseeing the development of Fort Worth Alliance |
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Airport and the American Airlines maintenance facility, the |
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completion of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing building, |
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and the arrival of such new companies as Burlington Northern and The |
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University of Texas at Arlington Advanced Robotics Research |
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Institute; moreover, he partnered with prominent figures in the |
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region to revitalize the downtown area with the addition of the |
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Tandy Center and Sundance Square and the refurbishment of the Hotel |
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Texas and General Worth Square; and |
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WHEREAS, Other highlights of his years in office included the |
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establishment of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, the |
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Dallas/Fort Worth International Trade Resource Center, and the |
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Metroplex High Technology Education Task Force; renowned as the |
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"people's mayor," he demonstrated remarkable dedication to his |
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adopted hometown and consistently worked more than 60 hours a week |
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to carry forth his ideal that he should leave the city an even |
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better place than he found it; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to the duties of his office, Mr. Bolen |
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served as the president of the Texas Municipal League in 1987, and |
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he was elected as a member of the board for the National League of |
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Cities in 1985, becoming that body's president in 1990; after |
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leaving office in 1991, he held membership on advisory boards and |
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city committees, and he joined Texas Christian University as a |
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senior advisor to the chancellor and as a mentor for the |
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institution's entrepreneur program; this visionary civic leader |
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was conferred honorary doctorates in public service from the |
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University of North Texas and TCU, as well as an honorary doctorate |
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of humanities from Texas Wesleyan University; and |
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WHEREAS, Though it is impossible to gauge the full effect of |
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one man's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark on |
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the world as they move through it, and Bob Bolen's contributions |
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will long resonate in the Fort Worth community and in the lives of |
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all who knew him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bob Bolen and extend |
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sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Fran; |
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to his daughter, Terrie Manning and her husband, David; to his sons, |
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Randy Bolen and his wife, Pam, and Ron Bolen; to his foster son, Don |
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Cosby and his wife, Kathryn; to his grandchildren, Jeff Bolen, Chad |
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Bolen, Shannon Young, Matthew Manning, Jamie Manning, Tucker Cosby, |
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and Anne Claire Cosby; to his great-grandchildren, Brady, Brennan, |
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Charlie, and Robert Walter; to his niece, Sandy Bolen; to his |
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nephew, Brad Bolen; and to his other relatives and many friends; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bob Bolen. |