TITLE: Honoring the late William D. Kleine for his posthumous induction into the Petroleum Hall of Fame.

SUMMARY: Honoring the late William D. Kleine for his posthumous induction into the Petroleum Hall of Fame.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The distinguished career of a respected oilman is being honored as William Donald Kleine is posthumously inducted into the Petroleum Hall of Fame on April 14, 2011; and WHEREAS, The Petroleum Hall of Fame, which is based at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the petroleum industry or who have inspired others through their achievements, service, or strength of character; and WHEREAS, Bill Kleine was born in Slater, Missouri, on July 4, 1928; before making a name for himself in the petroleum industry, he was a member of the Missouri Valley College football team, famous for its 41-game winning streak; he also played for the school's basketball team and was recognized in Ripley's Believe It or Not! for playing a football game in one state at night after having played a basketball game in a different state that same afternoon; and WHEREAS, Basketball proved to be his entry into the oil business; after graduating cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration, he was hired by Phillips 66 to play for its famous company basketball team, the 66ers; after a few years of traveling the country with the team, he settled in Midland as a Phillips 66 purchasing agent; in 1956, he took a job with the Western Oil Transportation Company; this small trucking company evolved into the Permian Corporation, a crude oil marketing firm; and WHEREAS, Mr. Kleine rose to the post of vice president of marketing with Permian as the 22-truck operation grew into a large enterprise with 600 trucks and 6,000 miles of pipelines; the company became the first Midland-based firm to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange; Mr. Kleine retired as president and chief executive officer in 1989; by that time, Permian employed 2,000 people and was the largest crude oil marketing firm in the United States; and WHEREAS, Known for his humility, Mr. Kleine was always helpful to those on their way up in the industry and freely shared his expertise and wisdom with his peers; he was a central force in the Midland oil business for more than five decades and a leading figure in the community, serving on the boards of many civic, church, and charitable organizations, such as the High Sky Children's Ranch, the Cerebral Palsy Board, and the Midland Memorial Foundation; and WHEREAS, The Midland community lost an esteemed business and civic leader when Bill Kleine passed away on June 25, 2010, at the age of 81; through his leadership, he distinguished himself as a successful and influential figure in an industry that is such a vital part of the Texas economy; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby honor the memory of William Donald Kleine on the occasion of his induction into the Petroleum Hall of Fame and pay tribute to his many admirable contributions; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Kleine's family as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Craddick Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 321 was adopted by the House on February 24, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House