ACR 137, as amended, Harper. John Wayne.
This bill would recognize May 26, 2016, as John Wayne Day.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, John Wayne was the prototypical American hero,
2symbolizing such traits as self-reliance, grace under pressure,
3resolve, and patriotism; and
4WHEREAS, Born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907,
5in Winterset, Iowa, he moved with his parents as a young boy to
6California; in 1916, while the family was living in Glendale, he
7began going by “Duke,” a nickname that followed him throughout
8his life; and
9WHEREAS, In 1925, he began attending the University of
10Southern California on a football scholarship, playing offensive
P2 1lineman; after sustaining a shoulder injury from a bodysurfing
2accident in Newport Beach just prior to his junior year, he withdrew
3from the university and began working at Fox Film Corporation
4as a laborer moving set props and as an occasional extra in movies;
5and
6WHEREAS, While working at the studio, he met Wyatt Earp,
7who was a consultant to Western film director John Ford, and he
8would adopt some of Earp’s mannerisms for his roles as a cowboy;
9and
10WHEREAS, The first film in which he was the leading actor
11gave him the screen name “John Wayne,” which he would use for
12the remainder of his acting career; and
13WHEREAS, Starring in classic Western films such as
14Stagecoach, Red River, The Searchers, and True Grit, Wayne
15personified the archetypal cowboy who is rough-edged and
16plainspoken but also capable of great warmth, kindness, and
17generosity; he won an Oscar in 1970 for Best Actor for his role as
18Rooster Cogburn in True Grit; and
19WHEREAS, In The Alamo, his first film as a director, John
20Wayne played the role of Davy Crockett; the film won an Oscar
21nomination in 1961 for Best Picture; Wayne also directed and
22starred in a Vietnam-based movie, The Green Berets, which was
23released in 1968; and
24WHEREAS, Wayne was an avid supporter of the United States
25military and toured bases and hospitals throughout the South
26Pacific in 1943 and 1944 with the United Service Organizations;
27he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1979, engraved
28with the words “John Wayne, American” encapsulating his entire
29life; and
30WHEREAS, John Wayne was one of Newport Beach’s most
31famous residents; he loved the area and was known as a regular
32guy around town, frequently hosting other famous Hollywood
33personalities. His beloved yacht, the Wild Goose, a converted
34Navy minesweeper now owned and operated by Hornblower
35Yachts is available for tours and charters out of Newport Beach;
36and
37WHEREAS, In 1968, the University of Southern California
38established The John Wayne Scholarship Fund in his honor; and,
39upon his passing, in 1979, the John Wayne airport located in
40Orange County then named Orange County Airport, was renamed
P3 1John Wayne Airport in honor of his achievements and influence,
2and a nine-foot-tall statute of him was raised at John Wayne
3Airport; and
4WHEREAS, John Wayne was laid to rest in 1979 in his favorite
5place, Newport Beach, California, with a western-theme plaque
6depicting a cowboy on horseback; and
7WHEREAS, In 1985, Wayne’s family founded the John Wayne
8Cancer Foundation to “bring courage, strength and grit to the fight
9against cancer”; and
10WHEREAS, John Wayne was inducted into the California Hall
11of Fame by then Governor Schwarzenegger in 2007; now,
12therefore, be it
13Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
14thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby recognizes May
1526, 2016, as John Wayne Day; and be it further
16Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor
17of this special occasion and as a tribute to the life of John Wayne.
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