Bill Text: TX SR129 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled


Bill Title: In memory of Harry Middleton.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-02-06 - Reported enrolled [SR129 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SR129-Enrolled.html
 
 
 
 
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 129
 
 
  In Memory
  of
  Harry Middleton
 
         WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins citizens
  across the state in mourning the loss of Harry Middleton, a
  beloved Austinite and the former director of the LBJ Presidential
  Library, who died January 20, 2017, at the age of 95; and
 
         WHEREAS, Born on October 24, 1921, in Centerville, Iowa,
  Harry Middleton was known by his friends and colleagues for his
  charisma, sense of honor, compassion, and intellectual vigor,
  and he was universally regarded as the most distinguished director to
  have ever served in the presidential library system; and
 
         WHEREAS, Harry Middleton enlisted in the United States
  Army in 1943, and he served for three years during World War II;
  he later served for two years as an officer in the Korean War, and
  he retired from military duty with the rank of captain; he earned
  a degree in journalism from Louisiana State University in Baton
  Rouge; and
 
         WHEREAS, Mr. Middleton met President Lyndon Baines Johnson
  in 1966 while writing a report for a presidential commission on
  the selective service, and he was hired as a presidential staff
  assistant the following year; he wrote speeches and congressional
  messages for the president for the duration of his term, and he
  returned with him to Texas to collaborate on writing and publishing
  The Choices We Face and The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the
  Presidency, 1963-1969; and
 
         WHEREAS, Often referred to as the "Dean of Presidential
  Library Directors," Harry Middleton became the second director
  of the LBJ Presidential Library in 1970, and for more than 31
  years, he was manager of one of the most celebrated presidential
  libraries in the country; in addition to archiving an extensive
  collection of historical materials, he advocated for the formal
  collaboration between the presidential library and the Lyndon B.
  Johnson School of Public Affairs, a partnership that continues
  today to promote the development of innovative research and
  public education initiatives; in August of 2000, Texas Monthly
  described Mr. Middleton as "The Man Who Saved LBJ" for his
  decision to publically release President Johnson's recorded
  telephone conversations; and
 
         WHEREAS, Harry Middleton was a highly gifted writer who
  earned widespread acclaim for his historical and biographical
  publications; he received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious
  Executive in 1991, and the following year, he was honored with
  the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award; in 1994,
  Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson established the Harry Middleton Lectureship
  to enable the public and students at The University of Texas at
  Austin to attend lectures by renowned speakers free of charge; in
  2004, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation established the Harry
  Middleton Fellowships to support scholarly work in presidential
  studies; and
 
         WHEREAS, Harry Middleton was a treasured citizen of Texas
  and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather; noted for his
  wise counsel and loyalty, he lived a life of great integrity and
  purpose, and his legacy at the LBJ Presidential Library will
  continue to inspire the highest standards of public engagement
  and discourse long into the future; now, therefore, be it
 
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
  Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
  family of Harry Middleton; and, be it further
 
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
  Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
  memory of Harry Middleton.
 
  Watson
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on February 6, 2017, by
    a rising vote.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate
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