HR785 - In memory of former state comptroller and Austin mayor Carole Keeton.

      H.R. No. 785       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, The life of a trailblazing public servant drew to a   close with the passing of former Austin mayor and Texas comptroller   Carole Keeton on March 26, 2025, at the age of 85; and          WHEREAS, A native Austinite, Carole Keeton was born in 1939   to Page Keeton, a dean of The University of Texas School of Law, and   Madge Keeton; she studied government at UT Austin, and after   graduating in 1961, she wed attorney Barr McClellan and became the   mother of four sons, Brad, Scott, Mark, and Dudley; she made her   first foray into politics as a member of the Austin Independent   School District Board of Trustees in 1972; during her tenure, she   championed efforts to improve outcomes for minority students, and   she was unanimously elected to preside over the board in 1976; and          WHEREAS, The following year, Ms. Keeton became the first   female mayor in Austin's history and ultimately set a new precedent   for the office by serving three successive terms; she led the city   until 1983, when Governor Mark White appointed her to the State   Board of Insurance, and she was the first woman to fill that role as   well; and          WHEREAS, Turning her attention to statewide elective office,   Ms. Keeton won a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission in 1986, and   she made history once again when she became the first woman to be   elected state comptroller, an office she held for two terms, from   1999 to 2007; in these and other races, she appealed to voters with   her down-to-earth charm, and she later adopted the slogan "one   tough grandma" during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign; her   energetic personality made her a force to be reckoned with, and she   was renowned for her memorable aphorisms and a well-honed sense of   humor that could make a room erupt in laughter; and          WHEREAS, Even after her career as an elected official   concluded, Ms. Keeton remained politically active; in 2012, her   organization Austinites For Action helped secure passage of a   proposition to improve access to health care in Travis County; she   took pride in seeing her sons Scott and Mark follow in her footsteps   in public service by holding prominent positions in the   administration of President George W. Bush, and in her later years,   she enjoyed watching her cherished family grow to include nine   grandchildren; and          WHEREAS, Guided by a steadfast concern for the needs of   people from all walks of life, Carole Keeton devoted herself   tirelessly to the betterment of her community and state, and she   leaves behind a legacy that will long be treasured by those who held   her dear; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Carole Keeton and   extend deepest sympathy to all who mourn her passing; and, be it   further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of   Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Carole   Keeton.     Howard   Flores     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 785 was unanimously adopted by a   rising vote of the House on June 1, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House