Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1 Page: 29
This legislative document is part of the collection entitled: Texas Senate Journals and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
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3 n emory of
Benatnr ?rurv reagan
Senator Watson offered the following resolution:
(Senate Concurrent Resolution 6)
Whereas, On November 25, 1968, the State of Texas lost one of its most esteemed
citizens and dedicated public officials with the death of Senator Bruce Reagan of
Corpus Christi; and
Whereas, Senator Reagan had served in the Texas Senate from the 20th District
for 12 years, and he was one of the few Senators in history to be honored on two
occasions by his colleagues as their choice for President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
while holding this office in 1961, he served as acting Lieutenant Governor for five
months and as Governor for 15 days after Lieutenant Governor Ben Ramsey
resigned to accept appointment to the Texas Railroad Commission; and
Whereas, Bruce Reagan was a native of Brownsboro, in East Texas, but had
lived in Corpus Christi most of his adult life; in high school, at Athens, Texas, he
was a basketball star when his team won the national championship in 1931, and
the six-foot-four Reagan played all three years that the Athens High School Bas-
ketball Team won the State title in 1931, 1932, and 1933; and
Whereas, In the Army during World War II, while stationed in New Guinea,
he suffered a serious back injury during a Japanese bombing raid; although he was left
with a stiff back and slight limp, and was in pain most of the time, he carried
on and accomplished more than would have seemed possible for a well man; and
Whereas, He was first elected to the Texas Senate in 1956, and classed himself
as a conservative; he had served on every major committee in the Senate and was
chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and one of the three Senate members
on the Legislative Budget Board at the time of his death; and
Whereas, Among outstanding legislation which he sponsored were the Small Loan
Regulatory Act and the State's first general sales tax bill in 1961: he sponsored
bills creating the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Tourist Development
Agency, and the Texas Industrial Commission; he also authored legislation approving
for the State of Texas the creation of the Padre Island National Seashore, creating
a citrus commission, and giving Texas a voice concerning the dumping of radioactive
materials in the Gulf of Mexico; and
Whereas, Senator Reagan was a member of the Baptist Church; his civic and
fraternal affiliations included Lions, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion,
Disabled American Veterans, Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, 40 & 8, Fraternal
Order of Eagles, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and the Salvation Army
Board; and
Whereas, It is the desire of the 61st Legislature to recognize the distinguished
citizenship and public service of Senator Bruce Reagan and pay tribute to him;
now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Texas, the House of Representatives
concurring, That sympathy of the 61st Legislature be and it is hereby extended
to his wife, the former Bobby Womack, of Corpus Christi, and his two daughters,
Mrs. Mike Ratcliff and Mrs. Jan Latham, with whom we share the tragedy of loss
at the untimely death of our beloved colleague and friend; and, be it further
Resolved, That official copies of this Resolution be prepared for the members
of his family and that when this Resolution is adopted and each House adjourns
for the day, that adjournment be in honor of and to the memory of Senator Bruce
Reagan.
WATSON
Signed: Lieutenant Governor Preston Smith, Aikin, Bates, Bernal, Berry, Blan-
chard, Bridges, Brooks, Christie, Cole, Connally, Creighton, Grover, Hall, Har-
rington, Harris, Hazlewood, Herring, Hightower, Jordan, Kennard, Mauzy, McKool,
Moore, Patman, Ratliff, Schwartz, Snelson, Strong, Wilson and Word.
The resolution was read.
On motion of Senator Aikin and by unanimous consent the names of the Lieu-
tenant Governor and Senators were added to the resolution as signers thereof.
On motion of Senator Watson, and by unanimous consent, the resolution was
considered immediately and was adopted by a rising vote of the Senate.
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Texas. Legislature. Senate. Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1, legislative document, 1969; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145999/m1/29/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.