86R26801 BPG-D
 
  By: Hunter H.R. No. 1302
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The life of a legislative titan drew to a close with
  the passing of former state senator A. R. "Babe" Schwartz of
  Galveston on August 10, 2018, at the age of 92; and
         WHEREAS, Born on the island in 1926, Babe Schwartz began his
  long career in public service while still a student at The
  University of Texas School of Law; he worked for both the Texas
  Legislative Council and the chief clerk of the Texas House, and
  after graduating, he served as a prosecutor in the Galveston County
  attorney's office; in 1954, he won the first of two terms in the
  Texas House, and he went on to serve in the Texas Senate for 21
  years; and
         WHEREAS, Senator Schwartz was a staunch champion of Galveston
  Island, and he fiercely defended its natural beauty and the
  public's right to enjoy it; his monumental accomplishments included
  legislation that serves as a foundation for much of the Texas
  Coastal Management Plan; he was instrumental in the creation of the
  1959 Open Beaches Act, and he later sponsored a constitutional
  amendment that gave counties the right to regulate traffic on
  beaches; in addition, he secured passage of measures to ban
  littering on beaches and protect wetlands and freshwater inflows
  into bays and estuaries; he was also responsible for legislation
  that created the Park Board of Trustees, which oversees Galveston
  beaches; and
         WHEREAS, Known for his rapier wit and bold oratory, as well as
  tactical expertise, Senator Schwartz played a key role in bringing
  Galveston The University of Texas Medical Branch, as well as grade
  raisings for the causeway and other infrastructure improvements;
  moreover, he fought tirelessly for civil rights, open government,
  education, and services for those with mental challenges; he was a
  member of the "Killer Bees," who absented themselves from the upper
  chamber in a successful protest against controversial legislation
  during the 66th Legislative Session; and
         WHEREAS, Senator Schwartz served on every major committee and
  held numerous leadership roles, chairing Natural Resources,
  Coastal Lands and Water, Beach Study, Jurisprudence, Rules of the
  Senate, and Military and Veterans Affairs; he further served as
  chair of the Texas Coastal and Marine Council, the national Coastal
  States Organization, and the Rights and Suffrage Committee of the
  1974 Constitutional Convention; and
         WHEREAS, After leaving public office, Senator Schwartz
  continued his advocacy in the legislative sphere; innumerable
  colleagues sought the benefit of his acumen and vast knowledge, as
  well as the scintillation of his vivid stories and unvarnished
  opinions; he helped create the Sea Grant Program at Texas A&M
  University and contributed to the formation of the institution's
  Galveston campus; he taught students at the University of Houston
  Law Center, the UT Law School, and the Texas A&M campuses at
  Galveston and Corpus Christi; in 2016, the City of Galveston
  recognized his impact by naming "Babe's Beach" in his honor, and his
  myriad accolades further included the inaugural Bob Eckhardt
  Lifetime Coastal Achievement Award and the 1987 Distinguished
  Service Award from the National Hurricane Conference,
  acknowledging him as the first legislator in the nation to
  recognize the need for hurricane preparedness; and
         WHEREAS, The son of Joseph and Clara Schwartz, Senator
  Schwartz grew up with four siblings, Louis, Ron, Steven, and
  Phyllis; as a boy, he worked on the shore, renting beach gear and
  serving as a lifeguard; he interrupted his education at Texas A&M
  University to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served
  in the Pacific theater; after moving to Austin for law school, he
  met his future wife, the former Marilyn Ruth Cohn, and they married
  in 1951; their family grew to include 4 sons, Bob, Dick, John, and
  Tom, as well as 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; and
         WHEREAS, Babe Schwartz worked tirelessly to improve the lives
  of his fellow Texans and safeguard our state's priceless coastal
  heritage, and although he is greatly missed by all who were
  privileged to know him, his vision and leadership will continue to
  resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable
  A. R. "Babe" Schwartz and extend deep sympathy 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 former
  state senator A. R. "Babe" Schwartz.