Texas State Hero

H. C. R. 200

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Carl Lewis is an outstanding athlete whose world-renowned achievements have brought a high measure of attention and praise to his adopted home of Texas; and

WHEREAS, A hero of the 1984 Summer Olympics, Frederick Carlton Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama; his family's home is in Willingboro, New Jersey, but it was in Houston where he attended the University of Houston and made impressive advances toward his highly acclaimed Olympic success; and

WHEREAS, Under the challenging direction of Houston Coach Tom Tellez, he refined his skill and technique, qualified for the United States Olympic team, and was named U.S. track and field athlete of the year by Track and Field News; he was also the NCAA long-jump champion in 1980 and 1981 and 100-yard dash champion in 1981, and he holds the collegiate records in both of these events; and

WHEREAS, In 1984 alone, his career highlights included winning four gold medals at the Olympic Games and being named the world's best athlete by AIPS (an international group of sportswriters), a UPI poll of European sports editors, an AP poll of European sportswriters, an AP poll of American sportswriters, an Athletics Weekly readers, poll, L'Equipe, Vitalis, Dunlap, and Jesse Owens International; and

WHEREAS, He won Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, long jump, and 400-meter relay and is the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in an Olympics meet since Jesse Owens competed in the 1936 Berlin games; and

WHEREAS, This athletic superstar holds the Olympic record for the 200-meter dash and shares the record for the 400-meter relay, and he has been named world athlete of the year for an unprecedented third straight year by Track and Field News; and

WHEREAS, Ranked first in both the 100-yard dash and the long jump for four years, he has compiled an unsurpassed track and field performance record; his official time in the 100-yard dash has been 10 seconds or less six times, he has jumped more than 28 feet 24 times, he has 16 of the top 20 long-jump marks in history, and he has recorded the 11 best indoor long jumps in history; and

WHEREAS, Known as somewhat reserved and as a person who enjoys a quiet home life, he is also quite comfortable in front of a camera, a good speaker, and a lover of fast cars; he has taken acting lessons and a number of communications and broadcasting courses and has worked for Houston television station KTRK; and

WHEREAS, The Lewis family is a close and supportive family and all members are impressive athletes equally worthy of note; his mother was a hurdler on the 1951 Pan-Am team; his oldest brother holds a county sprint record in New Jersey where they grew up, his other brother was one of the first and few Americans in the North American Soccer League, and his younger sister was also an Olympic competitor and medal winner; and

WHEREAS, Carl Lewis is a man who represents the very best in American determination, physical ability, and achievement, and he truly merits the recognition and high praise of the people of this state; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 69th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby officially recognize Carl Lewis, Olympic gold-medal winner and preeminent athlete, as an official state hero and commend him on his unsurpassed record of athletic accomplishments; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of the resolution be prepared for Mr. Lewis as an expression of best wishes from the members of the Texas Legislature.