General and Special Laws of The State of Texas Passed By The Second, Third and Fourth Called Sessions of the Sixty-Second Legislature and the Regular Session of the Sixty-Third Legislature Page: 49
78, 358, 110, lxiv, 1100 p. ; 25 cm.View a full description of this legislative document.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS
MEMORIAL-WILL L. SMITH
H. C. R. No. 1
WHEREAS, The people of the State of Texas mourn the untimely
death of the Honorable Will L. Smith, State Representative from Jeffer-
son County, on March 17, 1972, at the age of 54; and
WHEREAS, Born in DeRidder, Louisiana, on October 31, 1917, he
spent most of his life in Beaumont; first elected to the House as a
Member of the 48th Legislature convening in 1943, Representative Smith
served continuously from that time, except for a brief period in the 1950's
when he chose to remain in private life; and
WHEREAS, One of the only two House Members ever to serve more
than 11 terms, he was unanimously named "dean of the Texas House" in
1971 in recognition of his 12 terms of service; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed statesman had also long been known as
"the father of special education" for his active legislative work in the
area of mental health, vocational rehabilitation, and related fields; and
WHEREAS, Representative Will Smith sponsored the bill creating
our state's special education program, which currently accommodates
130,000 crippled, blind, deaf, retarded, and emotionally disturbed children
in Texas; and
WHEREAS, During the 61st Legislature, he sponsored a new compre-
hensive special education bill, which, in the opinion of many authorities,
will make Texas first among states in this field; and
WHEREAS, Representative Smith had repeatedly been cited by spe-
cial education-related groups for his dedicated work in this field and was
recognized in his hometown for his support in establishing the Beaumont
State Center for Human Development and the Beaumont School for the
Deaf; and
WHEREAS, Although his primary work in the legislature was devoted
to the cause of special education, he also concentrated his efforts on a
recent program in the Capitol to provide private offices for all Members
of the House; and
WHEREAS, As chairman of the House Office Committee, he was
commended by special resolution for his "efficiency and economy" in the
building project, which was completed for substantially less than the
estimated cost; and
WHEREAS, At the time of his death, Representative Smith was chair-
man of the House Governmental Affairs and Efficiency Committee; and
WHEREAS, When the legislature was not in session and he was not
otherwise involved with legislative affairs, he devoted his remaining time
to his successful business and to civic activities of all kinds; and
WHEREAS, Indicative of his great popularity among his constituents,
he was to run unopposed in the 1972 primary and general elections for
a thirteenth term in the House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, All the Members of the Texas Legislature share the great
loss of this distinguished man with Representative Smith's bereaved
49
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This document can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Legislative Document.
Texas. Legislature. General and Special Laws of The State of Texas Passed By The Second, Third and Fourth Called Sessions of the Sixty-Second Legislature and the Regular Session of the Sixty-Third Legislature, legislative document, 1973; [Austin, Texas]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth221792/m1/50/: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.