Don Kennard (May 6, 1929 – March 17, 2011) was a United States politician for the Democratic Party representing Fort Worth and Tarrant County in both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate from 1953 to 1973. Kennard represented the former District 60–3 in the Texas House from 53rd through the 62nd Legislatures, and the Tenth District in the 58th through the 62nd Legislatures.
Kennard was an early proponent of a wide variety of conservation-related initiatives in the Legislature. He is particularly celebrated for his success in securing dedicated funding for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department from cigarette taxes.
Kennard was indirectly responsible for the Fort Worth Zoo obtaining a baby elephant in 1964.
Following his service in the Legislature, Kennard taught and led research efforts at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. He is especially noted for coordinating the Natural Area Survey, which provided the blueprint for many years of later public land acquisitions of Texas areas of special ecological, scenic, or historic value.
References
- "Don Kennard". Texas State Cemetery. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
- Don Kennard dies
- Lynam, Marshall L. (February 1998). "The Great Washington Elephant Hunt". Stories I Never Told the Speaker: The Chaotic Adventures of a Capitol Hill Aide. Three Forks Press. pp. 137–153. ISBN 0-9637629-7-4. Archived from the original on 2002-09-13. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
External links
- Texas Legacy Project
- Don Kennard Papers finding aid at University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections via Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)
| Texas House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byNew district | Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 60-3 (Fort Worth) 1953–1963 |
Succeeded byHugh Q. Parmer |
| Texas Senate | ||
| Preceded byDoyle Willis | Texas State Senator from District 10 (Fort Worth) 1963–1973 |
Succeeded byBill Meier |
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