A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of hamilton cowles horton, jr., former member of the general assembly.
Whereas, Hamilton Cowles Horton, Jr. was born in Winston‑Salem on August 6, 1931, to Hamilton Cowles Horton and Virginia Lee Wiggins Horton; and 
Whereas, Ham Horton was a devoted member of the Calvary Moravian Church. He began playing the trumpet in the Moravian Band at age seven and continued playing at Easter Sunrise Services for 68 years; and
Whereas, Ham Horton graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1949 and, ever mindful of the lessons to be derived from the past, earned an A.B. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1953 and an L.L.B. from the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1956; and
Whereas, Ham Horton served in the United States Navy from 1956 to 1960, achieving the rank of Lieutenant; and
Whereas, Ham Horton practiced law and proudly served his profession as a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and as President of both the Forsyth County Bar Association and the 21st District Bar Association from 1989 to 1990; and
Whereas, Ham Horton harbored a noble devotion to public service, serving with honor and distinction as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1969 to 1970 and the North Carolina Senate from 1971 to 1974 and 1995 to 2005; and
Whereas, Senator Horton was a true preservationist in matters of architecture, history, culture, and the environment; and
Whereas, Senator Horton was a man of both classical sensibility and a touch of whimsy who translated the Capital Press Corps' motto into Latin – Usquam Alius Insolens, or "Anywhere else, we'd just be considered rude"; and
Whereas, Senator Horton regaled and delighted listeners with his lyrical soliloquies, rhapsodizing about the sacrament of country ham amid "the pantheon of North Carolina foods"; the "forbidden fruit" of fireworks smuggled into the State by adolescents; how a move to settle an election in the legislature was "as inappropriate as wearing brogans to a white‑tie wedding;" the "oleaginous" nature of a State budget; and the importance of retaining naked Native Americans on the Senate Coat of Arms, which he traced to a grant of arms to Sir Walter Raleigh's colony on Roanoke Island in 1586; and
Whereas, Ham Horton received numerous awards, including the Carraway Award from Preservation North Carolina in 1997 and the Outdoor Recreation Achievement Award from the United States Department of the Interior in 1976; and
Whereas, Ham Horton remained ever the optimist, resolutely planting his mustard and turnip greens during his final months and teaching his daughter the fine art of biscuit‑making; and
Whereas, Ham Horton died on January 31, 2006, at the age of 74; and
Whereas, Ham Horton is survived by his wife, Evelyn Hanes Moore Horton, and a daughter, Rosalie Horton; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring: 
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly designates Hamilton Cowles Horton, Jr. a North Carolina Institution and honors his life and memory in appreciation for his service.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Hamilton Cowles Horton, Jr. and mourns the loss of the Renaissance man, a devoted and humble public servant.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall send a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Hamilton Cowles Horton, Jr.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.