[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 130 (Friday, September 27, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1393-E1394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE JACK E. HIGHTOWER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAC THORNBERRY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 2013

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House that 
one of our former colleagues, the Honorable Jack E. Hightower, has 
passed away at the age of 86.
   Jack Hightower was the very definition of a Texas gentleman and 
leader, leading a life of public service until his death. His life-long 
dedication to serving his country began with military service during 
World War II, before going on to become a lawyer, a member of the Texas 
House, District Attorney, member of the Texas Senate, U.S. Congressman, 
Assistant Attorney General of Texas, and later, Justice of the Texas 
Supreme Court.
   He was born in Memphis, Texas, to Floy and Walter Hightower on 
September 6, 1926. After graduating from Memphis High School, he 
enrolled in summer classes at Baylor University. However, that fall he 
joined the Navy and served two years during World War II. After being 
discharged, he returned to Baylor where he received a Bachelor of Arts 
degree, followed by a law degree. It was during this time that he 
married his wife, Colleen Ward, of Tulia, Texas. He joined the Storey, 
Storey and Donaghey law firm in Vernon, Texas, and soon thereafter, 
served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1953-1955. He was 
appointed District Attorney for the 46th Judicial District, followed by 
a term in the Texas Senate for the 23rd District. In 1966, he was 
elected to the new 30th Senatorial District and eventually became 
President Pro-tempore of the Texas Senate. During his service as a 
Texas State Senator, he received a Doctor of Laws degree from Howard 
Payne University.
   Mr. Hightower served the constituents of the 13th Congressional 
District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1974 to 
1985. After Congress, he served as Assistant Attorney General of Texas. 
He was then elected to the Texas Supreme Court, where he stayed until 
1996. In 1999, Mr. Hightower was

[[Page E1394]]

appointed by President Clinton as a Commissioner on the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science, where he served until 
2005.
   His passion for Texas was only surpassed by his love for God, his 
family, his church, and Freemasonry of Texas. Jack was an active member 
of the First Baptist Church, not only in Vernon, Texas, where he spent 
most of his life, but also in Austin, Texas, the latter part of his 
life.
   Jack was a member for over fifty years and Past Master of Vernon 
Lodge #655, Vernon, Texas. He also belonged to University Lodge #1190, 
Austin, Texas, and the Texas Lodge of Research. He served the Grand 
Lodge of Texas as District Deputy Grand Master, Grand Orator, member of 
the Masonic Jurisprudence Committee, and was elected to serve as Grand 
Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas in 1972.
   Jack was also a Knight of the York Cross of Honor, a member of the 
Red Cross of Constantine, and a Thirty Third Degree, Scottish Rite 
Mason, and served as the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Texas. 
Jack was also a member of the Maskat Shrine, Wichita Falls, Texas, and 
served on the boards of the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas, 
and the Scottish Rite Dormitory at the University of Texas, Austin, 
Texas, and the Scottish Rite Education Association of Texas.
   Jack is survived by his wife, Colleen, and his three daughters, Ann 
Thornburg; Amy Brees; and Alison Suttle.
   With more than 50 years of public service, Jack Hightower will 
always be remembered for his selfless devotion to the people of his 
State and his country. Whether holding a position at a local, state, or 
national level, he always put the interests and considerations of his 
country above all else--the living embodiment of a public servant. He 
will surely be missed.

                          ____________________