November 15, 1946

• 1969 Texas A&M University
• 1972 volunteered for duty in Vietnam
• 1993 retireed from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel 
• 1993 – 1999 Texas State Senator
• 1995 sponsored and shepherded a number of Texas CHL bills
• 1997 successful effort and the equally important Texas CHL revision
• 2003 – 2015 27th Land Commissioner of Texas
• June 5, 2007 named “Texan of the Year” by Celebrate Texas