House Resolution 11

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING REED'S DEPARTMENT STORE IN TUPELO ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.

WHEREAS, R.W. Reed, Sr., moved from Itawamba County in 1905 to Tupelo, Mississippi, and opened a general dry goods store on Main Street, known as Reed's; and

WHEREAS, R.W. Reed, Sr., championed the development of Tupelo and its rural communities for over half a century, serving as its first Chairman of the Hospital Board, Boy Scout and the State College Board, among many other church and civic endeavors -- always approaching his responsibilities with zeal and zest, which continues today to be a hallmark of the entire Reed family; and

WHEREAS, Bob Reed and Jack Reed, Sr., sons of R.W. Reed, Sr., joined their father in the family business after receiving their educations at Vanderbilt and graduate work at Harvard and New York University respectively, and following distinguished military service in World War II; and

WHEREAS, Reed's has been a retail leader over the last century and was the first department store in North Mississippi to be air-conditioned; the first retail establishment to be housed on an entire city block; the first locally owned retail store to expand to area malls and to the college towns of Columbus and Starkville; and the first to host a book signing for world renowned author John Grisham; and

WHEREAS, subsequent generations of the Reed family now occupy positions of leadership and responsibility in this extraordinary retail business carrying on the excellent traditions of their forebears; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives of the State of Mississippi to recognize and commend such outstanding business institutions as Reed's Department Store, which has served as the cornerstone of economic growth and the bedrock of generational success in Tupelo and surrounding areas:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend Reed's Department Store in Tupelo on its 100th Anniversary and wish them well in future years.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the presiding officers of Reed's Department Store and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.