Changes

|term_start2=1983

|term_start2=1983

|term_end2=1988

|term_end2=1988

|preceded2=Chet Upham

|preceded2=[[Chet Upham]]

|succeeded2=Fred Meyer

|succeeded2=[[Fred Meyer]]

|residence=Houston, Texas

|residence=Houston, Texas

|occupation=[[Business]]man; Philanthropist

|occupation=[[Business]]man; Philanthropist

In 1982, the Roman Catholic Strake received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Houston Baptist University. Strake was active between 1984 and 1998 in the [[conservative]]  [[Council for National Policy]], whose membership list includes Nelson Bunker Hunt, [[Phyllis Schlafly]], and [[Woody Jenkins]]. He also sat on the Greater Houston Partnership's World Trade Supervisory Board, a panel that he chaired in 1998. He is a trustee of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Foundation, president of the Strake Foundation, a member of the Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council, and Vice President of the Kenedy Memorial Foundation n [[Corpus Christi]], Texas.

In 1982, the Roman Catholic Strake received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Houston Baptist University. Strake was active between 1984 and 1998 in the [[conservative]]  [[Council for National Policy]], whose membership list includes Nelson Bunker Hunt, [[Phyllis Schlafly]], and [[Woody Jenkins]]. He also sat on the Greater Houston Partnership's World Trade Supervisory Board, a panel that he chaired in 1998. He is a trustee of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Foundation, president of the Strake Foundation, a member of the Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council, and Vice President of the Kenedy Memorial Foundation n [[Corpus Christi]], Texas.

He is also a former board member of the Sam Houston Area Council of the [[Boy Scouts]]. The 2,500-acre Camp Strake wilderness and summer camp near Conroe is named in his family's honor. His many other affiliations include the San Jacinto Museum of History Board, and the Houston Rotary International. Strake has also served on the boards of four banks.<ref name=txnp>{{cite web|url=http://www.txnp.org/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=1383|title=Speaker Biographies and Credentials: George W. Strake, Jr.|publisher=txnp.org|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref> He was an early benefactor of the restoration of the '''USS Cavalla,'' which saw action during [[World War II]] in the Pacific Theater of Operations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cavalla.org/cavspons.html|title=USS Cavalla: Sponsors and Contributors|publisher=cavalla.org|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref> and the Admiral Chester Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.

He is also a former board member of the Sam Houston Area Council of the [[Boy Scouts]]. The 2,500-acre Camp Strake wilderness and summer camp near Conroe is named in his family's honor. His many other affiliations include the San Jacinto Museum of History Board, and the Houston Rotary International. Strake has also served on the boards of four banks.<ref name=txnp>{{cite web|url=http://www.txnp.org/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=1383|title=Speaker Biographies and Credentials: George W. Strake, Jr.|publisher=txnp.org|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref> He was an early benefactor of the restoration of the '''USS Cavalla,'' which saw action during [[World War II]] in the Pacific Theater of Operations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cavalla.org/cavspons.html|title=USS Cavalla: Sponsors and Contributors|publisher=cavalla.org|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref> and the Admiral Chester Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.

==Political activities==

==Political activities==

As Republican state chairman, he was automatically a member of the [[Republican National Committee]] during the administration of [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]]. In 1978, Strake served as state chairman of the Clements for Governor Committee. Clements won a narrow victory over former Texas Secretary of State and Attorney General John Luke Hill and became the first Republican Governor elected in Texas in more than a century. Strake was an alternate delegate to the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], in which all ninety-six Texas delegates were pledged to Reagan, narrowly defeated by the party nominee, President [[Gerald Ford]], who then lost Texas to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]]. Strake served as Texas Secretary of State from 1979 to 1981 and ran unsuccessfully for Texas Lieutenant Governor against Bill Hobby in 1982, the last year thus far that Texas Democrats swept all statewide elections, including judgeships.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''[[West Texas Historical Association]] Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 82.</ref>

As Republican state chairman, he was automatically a member of the [[Republican National Committee]] during the administration of [[U.S. President]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]]. In 1978, Strake served as state chairman of the Clements for Governor Committee. Clements won a narrow victory over former Texas Secretary of State and Attorney General John Luke Hill and became the first Republican Governor elected in Texas in more than a century. Strake was an alternate delegate to the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], in which all ninety-six Texas delegates were pledged to Reagan, narrowly defeated by the party nominee, President [[Gerald Ford]], who then lost Texas to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]]. Strake served as Texas Secretary of State from 1979 to 1981 and ran unsuccessfully for Texas Lieutenant Governor against Bill Hobby in 1982, the last year thus far that Texas Democrats swept all statewide elections, including judgeships.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 82.</ref>

Strake was the chairman of the state Republican chairman from 1983 to 1988. He was an alternate delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, at which President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] was nominated for a second term, for which he was defeated by the Democrat [[Bill Clinton]]. Strake had also been a delegate to the Reagan-Bush conventions in 1984 and 1988 in [[Dallas]] and [[New Orleans]], respectively. Strake is listed in the 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1993 editions of ''Who's Who in American Politics''. In 1989, he was appointed by Clements in the latter’s second nonconsecutive term as governor to serve as a member of the Task Force on Public Education.<ref name=txnp/> He has also served on the boards of the Bob Bullock Texas State Museum and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, both in [[Austin]].

Strake was the chairman of the state Republican chairman from 1983 to 1988. He was an alternate delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, at which President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] was nominated for a second term, for which he was defeated by the Democrat [[Bill Clinton]]. Strake had also been a delegate to the Reagan-Bush conventions in 1984 and 1988 in [[Dallas]] and [[New Orleans]], respectively. Strake is listed in the 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1993 editions of ''Who's Who in American Politics''. In 1989, he was appointed by Clements in the latter’s second nonconsecutive term as governor to serve as a member of the Task Force on Public Education.<ref name=txnp/> He has also served on the boards of the Bob Bullock Texas State Museum and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, both in [[Austin]].

From July 9–11, 1990, Strake was co-chairman of the host committee of the Houston Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations.<ref name=sths/> He was later cited by Houston [[Mayor]] Kathy Whitmire, a Democrat, for his efforts in the economic summit.<ref name=txnp/> In 2008, Strake served on the steering committee of "Catholics for McCain" in [[John McCain]]'s unsuccessful presidential race against [[Barack H. Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muckety.com/George-W-Strake-Jr/28386.muckety|title=George W. Strake, Jr.|publisher=muckety.com|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref>

From July 9–11, 1990, Strake was co-chairman of the host committee of the Houston Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations.<ref name=sths/> He was later cited by Houston [[Mayor]] Kathy Whitmire, a Democrat, for his efforts in the economic summit.<ref name=txnp/> In 2008, Strake served on the steering committee of "Catholics for McCain" in [[John McCain]]'s unsuccessful presidential race against [[Barack H. Obama]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muckety.com/George-W-Strake-Jr/28386.muckety|title=George W. Strake, Jr.|publisher=muckety.com|accessdate=October 13, 2009}}</ref>

==Personal life==

==Personal life==

Strake, a Houston resident, is married to the former Annette DeWalch, and the couple has six children and seventeen grandchildren: Stephen, Vincent, Brooke, Brad, George, Christine, Brett, Meagan, Michele, Jeffrey, Molly, Mason, Patrick, Jonah, Sophia, Truman, Coleman, and Vivian.<ref name=txnp/>

A Houston resident, Strake is married to the former Annette DeWalch, and the couple has six children and seventeen grandchildren: Stephen, Vincent, Brooke, Brad, George, Christine, Brett, Meagan, Michele, Jeffrey, Molly, Mason, Patrick, Jonah, Sophia, Truman, Coleman, and Vivian.<ref name=txnp/>

==References==

==References==