Bill Text: TX HR276 | 2017 | 85th Legislature 1st Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of John Kelso of Austin.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-08-16 - Reported enrolled [HR276 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR276-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 276 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The city of Austin lost a zealous guardian of its | ||
| eccentricity with the death of beloved Austin American-Statesman | ||
| columnist John Kelso on July 28, 2017, at the age of 73; and | ||
| WHEREAS, While not a Texas native, Mr. Kelso was a natural | ||
| Austinite, and his keen appreciation of the city's qualities and | ||
| quirks won the allegiance of longtime residents, newcomers, and | ||
| exiles alike; he wrote with wit, perspicacity, and, as necessary, | ||
| supreme indignation, prompting many readers to turn to his column | ||
| before going back to peruse the rest of the paper; he profiled | ||
| weirdos, poked fun at politicos, groused about Californians and | ||
| condos, and found singular humor in encounters with everyday | ||
| people, from his South Austin neighbors to the denizens of the | ||
| Poodle Dog Lounge on North Burnet Road; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Kelso was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, a state | ||
| he loved to mock, especially in advance of the annual Texas-OU game; | ||
| after growing up in Maine, he graduated from the journalism school | ||
| at the University of Missouri, although he didn't bother to obtain | ||
| the actual diploma until 2016, when his commencement ceremony was | ||
| conducted at Giddy Ups Saloon; he began his career in New Hampshire | ||
| at the Manchester Union-Leader and then the Portsmouth Herald; | ||
| while serving in the U.S. Army, he penned a humor column for the | ||
| troop newspaper, and his comedic sense served him well again at The | ||
| Palm Beach Post, where his scant knowledge of hunting and fishing | ||
| did not deter him from taking on the outdoor beat; he turned the | ||
| assignment into an opportunity to interview memorable Florida | ||
| characters, and his appreciative editor, having moved on to Austin, | ||
| hired him at the American-Statesman in 1976; and | ||
| WHEREAS, For four decades, Mr. Kelso continued to amuse, | ||
| entertain, enlighten, and much to his delight, occasionally | ||
| infuriate the paper's subscribers; he published three books and | ||
| earned numerous accolades, among them the 2005 National Press Club | ||
| Angele Gingras Humor Award; theoretically, he retired in 2011, but | ||
| despite failing health, he continued to write his columns until | ||
| shortly before his death; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Kelso was devoted to his wife, Kay, and his | ||
| stepdaughters, Lauren Williams and Rachel Cavin; a man of great | ||
| kindness and warmth, he enjoyed many lasting friendships and a very | ||
| special connection with his loyal readers, for whom his passing | ||
| marks the end of an era in Austin; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas | ||
| Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of | ||
| John Kelso and extend sincere condolences 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of John Kelso. | ||
| Rodriguez of Travis | ||
| Howard | ||
| Israel | ||
| Workman | ||
| Hinojosa | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 276 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on August 15, 2017. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
