WHEREAS, Senator Thomas Slade Gorton was born on January 8, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton served in the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1956, continuing to serve in the Air Force Reserves until 1980 when he retired as a Colonel; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton came to Washington and began practicing law in 1956 in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, Republican Senator Gorton served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 1959-1969, as Washington State Attorney General from 1969-1981, and as a United States Senator from 1981-1987 and 1989-2001; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton saved Seattle baseball three separate times, ensuring long term home team ownership of the Seattle Mariners; and

WHEREAS, Following the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, Senator Gorton was appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States and made important contributions to national security through his work as a 9/11 commissioner in 2003 and 2004; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton was appointed as a member of the 2011 Washington State Redistricting Commission, which helped shape the current political landscape of our state; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton continues to mentor and inspire elected officials, civic leaders, and students, particularly through his work with the Slade Gorton International Policy Center at the National Bureau for Asian Research; and

WHEREAS, Senator Gorton met Sally Clark when she was a journalist at The Seattle Times in 1957, pursued a courtship that included movies on Fridays, skiing on Sundays, and a wedding on June 28, 1958, and raised a family of three children and seven grandchildren;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That in celebration of his ninetieth birthday, the Washington State Senate express its gratitude to Senator Slade Gorton for his many services to our state and our nation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Gorton family, in recognition and appreciation of Senator Gorton's commitment to the great state of Washington.