January 2, 2003

Texas General Land Office
 

Jerry Patterson will take the oath of office to become the 24th Texas Land Commissioner at 4 p.m. today. 

Patterson, a former state senator, first ran for land commissioner in 1998, and was elected in November 2002.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Wallace B. Jefferson will administer the oath of office in the Senate Chamber at the Capitol. After Patterson is sworn in, he will administer the oath of office of chief clerk of the Texas General Land Office to Larry Laine, his former senate chief of staff.

Other statewide-elected officials are scheduled to attend the ceremony, including Lt. Governor-elect David Dewhurst, state Representative Tom Craddick, Texas Attorney General-elect Greg Abbott, and members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives. Three past Texas land commissioners
will also attend the ceremony: Bob Armstrong, Garry Mauro and Dewhurst.

Following the ceremony, a reception will be held at the historic
General Land Office Building. Built in 1858, the building is at the southeast corner of the Capitol complex and now houses a state visitors center.

A Vietnam veteran and Marine aviator, Patterson retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1991. He served six years as a state senator, representing parts of Harris and Galveston counties.  He authored the Texas Concealed Handgun Law, the Texas Coastal Management Plan and the law creating Texas State Veterans Homes. 

Patterson and his wife Jennifer live in Austin.