Blog

Home » blog » Blog

Services for You

View My
Year-End Report
Extension of Remarks in Honor of Harold J. “Tex” Lezar Jr.
Posted by on January 21, 2004 | comments
f t # e
My remarks today are to honor my friend, Harold J. "Tex" Lezar Jr. Tex, a Dallas, Texas lawyer who worked for the Nixon and Reagan administrations, was a fixture in both Texas and national politics. Born in Dallas, Tex Lezar grew up in Japan, the son of a ship's captain who did reconnaissance for Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. Mr. Lezar earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1970. After graduating, he was an assistant to columnist William F. Buckley Jr. before becoming a speechwriter and special assistant to President Richard Nixon. In 1974, he moved to Austin, where he earned a law degree from the University of Texas and was editor-in-chief of the law review. He worked at a Houston law firm before becoming counsel to Texas Secretary of State George Strake. Tex then worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign before becoming a special counsel to the U.S. attorney general. He was named the attorney general's chief of staff. He was later named an assistant attorney general and retained the title of chief of staff under Attorney General William French Smith. In June of 1984, Tex Lezar married Ms. Mary Spaeth. And, although Tex left full-time government service in 1985, he was continuously active in public affairs serving as vice chairman of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography. In 1994, Mr. Lezar made his own bid for an elected office when he ran, unsuccessful, to unseat Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. After the campaign, Mr. Lezar was named president and chief executive officer of Empower America, a Washington-based group formed after the 1992 election to promote a "pro-growth" agenda. At the time of his death, Mr. Lezar was a partner with Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson LLP in Dallas. In addition to his wife, Mr. Lezar is survived by two sons, Beau Lezar of College Station and Philip Lezar of Dallas, as well as a daughter, Maverick Lezar of Dallas. As a Texas Republican, I can say we were blessed to have had him with us as a guide – to encourage us and direct our political paths. As a close personal friend of the family, I am glad I had the chance to know him, and I honor his life here today. Thank you. Click here to watch the video.
f t # e