IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 978 
Expressing profound sorrow upon the death of Luis Jimenez and recognizing 
his distinguished career and great contributions to American art. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Mr. REYES (for himself, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. HINOJOSA, and 
Mr. ORTIZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing profound sorrow upon the death of Luis Jimenez 
and recognizing his distinguished career and great con-
tributions to American art. 
Whereas Luis Jimenez’ Jr. was born on July 30, 1940 in El 
Paso, Texas and grew up in the border city’s Segundo 
Barrio ward; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. was the son of Luis Jimenez, Sr., 
who crossed into the United States from Mexico in 1924 
at the age of 9 and rose to become the owner of an El 
Paso sign shop and eventually received national recogni-
tion for his spectacular neon sign creations, which the 
son described as ‘‘individual works of great imagination’’; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. attended Texas Western College 
(now the University of Texas at El Paso) from 1958 to 
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•HRES 978 IH 
1959, received a Bachelor of Science degree in art and 
architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, 
studied at Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City, and as-
sisted abstract expressionist sculptor Seymour Lipton in 
New York; 
Whereas reflecting on his experiences in Mexico City, Luis Ji-
menez, Jr. said, ‘‘I learned that although I am of Mexi-
can descent, my thinking formed on this side of the bor-
der.’’; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. revolutionized the art world by 
creating monumental fiberglass sculptures that drew on 
a broad understanding of the American experience at a 
time when other sculptors chose not to connect with their 
audience through narrative content; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. elevated the medium of pop art, 
establishing the form as a vehicle for expressing powerful 
social and political meaning; 
Whereas in his art, Luis Jimenez, Jr. proved adept at blend-
ing past and present, articulating a connection between 
the men and women who have previously contributed to 
the building of the country, the prosperity of contem-
porary America, and those who continue to contribute 
today; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. was committed to the notion of 
art as a public gesture and determined that his works 
speak to a broad population and have meaning in a di-
rect, popular way; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. provided singular, essential rep-
resentation of the Latino experience in America, the saga 
of migration and border life, and the mystique of the 
Southwest United States; 
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•HRES 978 IH 
Whereas Luis Jimenez died on June 13, 2006 in a tragic ac-
cident while working on one of the monumental fiberglass 
sculptures of mustangs commissioned for the Denver air-
port, in his Hondo, New Mexico studio; 
Whereas Luis Jimenez is widely acknowledged as being 
among the most influential and important American art-
ists, literally changing the face of contemporary art, and 
his works are highly sought after by appreciators and col-
lectors of fine art and his sculptures grace public areas 
in El Paso, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Houston, Albu-
querque, Fargo, and Washington, D.C.; and 
Whereas the Smithsonian American Art Museum displays the 
monumental Luis Jimenez, Jr. statue Vaquero next to its 
front entrance, along with holding several of his draw-
ings, lithographs, and smaller statues: Now, therefore, be 
it 
Resolved, That the United States House of Rep-
resentatives expresses profound sorrow at the untimely 
death of Luis Jimenez and recognizes his distinguished 
career and great contributions to American art. 
Æ 
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