Joe Rollins
Encyclopedia
Joseph Guy Rollins, Jr., known as Joe Rollins (April 21, 1918 – November 2, 2008), was a prominent Texas
attorney
and civic leader, perhaps best known for his successful fight against a lawsuit in regard to cost overruns and construction delays in the establishment of what became Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston
.
The plaintiff
, R.F. Ball Construction Company of San Antonio
, protested that Houston municipal officials, the defendants represented by then assistant city attorney Rollins, made four hundred design changes for the airport terminals and caused the firm and its subcontractors serious losses. The airport opened in June 1969, more than two years behind schedule. Ball Construction maintained that the city-mandated changes increased construction costs from approximately $17 million to $28 million. The trial court ruled in favor of Ball Construction, but the judge reduced the requested $8 million in damages to $5.1 million. The 14th Court of Appeals unanimously reversed that ruling, and the Texas Supreme Court
concurred with the appeals court.
in Hunt County
near Dallas
at the home of his maternal grandparents, Robert B. Stratton and the former Julia Hardy. Rollins graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. In 1938, he completed his bachelor's degree
at Texas A&M University
in College Station
. He thereafter earned his law
degree in 1941 from Southern Methodist University
in Dallas.
During World War II
, Rollins enlisted in the United States Navy
even before the Japan
ese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From 1943–1945, he was the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Curlew AM 69
. In October 1943, he directed a group of minesweepers
that successfully cleared the Caribbean
entrance to the Panama Canal
of German submarine
-laid naval mine
s which had shut down the waterway for two critical weeks of the war. Rollins received a letter of commendation for his "fine seamanship under difficult conditions". After the war, Rollins was active in the Naval Reserve for eleven years and was commanding officer of the Reserve Electronics Unit in Sherman
in north Texas.
, Sherman, and then Whitesboro
in Grayson County
. He relocated to Austin
in 1957 to join the staff of the Texas Attorney General
(1957–1963) William "Will" Wilson. Assigned to the highway division, Rollins tried numerous eminent domain
cases in order to acquire right-of-way for the construction of the Eisenhower interstate highway system
in Texas.
In 1961 he moved to Houston to join the staff of the city attorney where he became senior assistant attorney and chief of the litigation section. He represented Houston police
in numerous suits, many of a civil rights
nature, against the department. Not once did Rollins lose a case representing a police officer.The officers accordingly awarded him a plaque of appreciation for his work.
On retirement from the city of Houston in 1979, Rollins joined the law firm of Olson & Olson, from which he retired in 1997. He became a volunteer instructor in the English-as-a-second-language program of Memorial Assistance Ministries. He also tutor
ed in the bilingual education
program at Spring Branch Elementary School. Rollins was fluent in Spanish
, French
, and German
. He was a scholar of languages and history
, particularly the American Civil War
, World War I
, World War II, and Europe
.
, Colorado
. He died there four years later. In addition to his wife of sixty-four years, he was survived by a son, Guy Rollins (born March 15, 1946) of Wimberley
in Hays County
near San Marcos
, Texas; two daughters, Sally Sodal of Boulder and Edna Gary Thomas of Doha, Qatar
. A memorial service was held on November 15 at his church of membership, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, in Boulder. While in Houston, the Rollinses had been active in the Chapelwood United Methodist Church.
Rollins was affiliated with some twenty organizations, the American, Gulf Coast, and Boulder Mensa International
societies, Masonic lodge
, Knights of Pythias
, Veterans of Foreign Wars
, the American Legion
, Sons of Confederate Veterans
, Military Order of the Stars and Bars (descendants of commissioned officers of the Confederate Army
), Sons of the American Revolution
, Society of Descendants of Washington
's Army at Valley Forge
, the Magna Carta
Barons, Colonial Order of the Crown, Lambda Chi Alpha
social fraternity
, Delta Theta Phi
law fraternity, the Houston and Texas bar association
s, and in later years was agent for the TAMU Class of 1938.
Rollins wrote the book, Aggies, Y'All Caught That Dam'Ol' Rat Yet?, a humorous account of his experiences as a freshman
at Texas A&M.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and civic leader, perhaps best known for his successful fight against a lawsuit in regard to cost overruns and construction delays in the establishment of what became Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
The plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
, R.F. Ball Construction Company of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, protested that Houston municipal officials, the defendants represented by then assistant city attorney Rollins, made four hundred design changes for the airport terminals and caused the firm and its subcontractors serious losses. The airport opened in June 1969, more than two years behind schedule. Ball Construction maintained that the city-mandated changes increased construction costs from approximately $17 million to $28 million. The trial court ruled in favor of Ball Construction, but the judge reduced the requested $8 million in damages to $5.1 million. The 14th Court of Appeals unanimously reversed that ruling, and the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
concurred with the appeals court.
Early years, education, military
Rollins was born to Joseph Guy Rollins and the former Ethel Stratton in MeritMerit, Texas
Merit is an unincorporated community in Hunt County, Texas, United States. It is located fifteen miles northwest of Greenville. Although it is unincorporated, Merit has a post office, with the ZIP code of 75458....
in Hunt County
Hunt County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 76,596 people, 28,742 households, and 20,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 32,490 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
near Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
at the home of his maternal grandparents, Robert B. Stratton and the former Julia Hardy. Rollins graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. In 1938, he completed his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
. He thereafter earned his law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
degree in 1941 from Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Rollins enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
even before the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From 1943–1945, he was the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Curlew AM 69
USS Curlew (AM-69)
The third USS Curlew was a in the United States Navy during World War II.Curlew was built in 1938 by Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Charleston, South Carolina, as Kittiwake; purchased by the U.S. Navy on 6 August 1940; and commissioned 7 November 1940, Lieutenant W. T...
. In October 1943, he directed a group of minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
that successfully cleared the Caribbean
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
entrance to the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
of German submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
-laid naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s which had shut down the waterway for two critical weeks of the war. Rollins received a letter of commendation for his "fine seamanship under difficult conditions". After the war, Rollins was active in the Naval Reserve for eleven years and was commanding officer of the Reserve Electronics Unit in Sherman
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in north Texas.
Legal career
Rollins initially practiced law in DenisonDenison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Sherman, and then Whitesboro
Whitesboro, Texas
Whitesboro is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,760 at the 2000 census. Whitesboro is named for its founder, Ambrose B...
in Grayson County
Grayson County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 110,595 people, 42,849 households, and 30,208 families residing in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile . There were 48,315 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
. He relocated to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1957 to join the staff of the Texas Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
(1957–1963) William "Will" Wilson. Assigned to the highway division, Rollins tried numerous eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
cases in order to acquire right-of-way for the construction of the Eisenhower interstate highway system
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in Texas.
In 1961 he moved to Houston to join the staff of the city attorney where he became senior assistant attorney and chief of the litigation section. He represented Houston police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in numerous suits, many of a civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
nature, against the department. Not once did Rollins lose a case representing a police officer.The officers accordingly awarded him a plaque of appreciation for his work.
On retirement from the city of Houston in 1979, Rollins joined the law firm of Olson & Olson, from which he retired in 1997. He became a volunteer instructor in the English-as-a-second-language program of Memorial Assistance Ministries. He also tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
ed in the bilingual education
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
program at Spring Branch Elementary School. Rollins was fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. He was a scholar of languages and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, particularly the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Later years
In 2004 Rollins and his wife, the Dallas native, Sarah-Finch Maiden Rollins, known as Skippy Rollins, moved to BoulderBoulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He died there four years later. In addition to his wife of sixty-four years, he was survived by a son, Guy Rollins (born March 15, 1946) of Wimberley
Wimberley, Texas
Wimberley is a small town in Hays County, Texas, United States. Prior to its incorporation in May 2000, it was a census-designated place . The population was 2,626 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in Hays County
Hays County, Texas
Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
near San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
, Texas; two daughters, Sally Sodal of Boulder and Edna Gary Thomas of Doha, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. A memorial service was held on November 15 at his church of membership, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, in Boulder. While in Houston, the Rollinses had been active in the Chapelwood United Methodist Church.
Rollins was affiliated with some twenty organizations, the American, Gulf Coast, and Boulder Mensa International
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
societies, Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, Knights of Pythias
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
, Military Order of the Stars and Bars (descendants of commissioned officers of the Confederate Army
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
), Sons of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Society of Descendants of Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's Army at Valley Forge
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
The Village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, United States. The remaining village is in Schuylkill Township of Chester County, but once...
, the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
Barons, Colonial Order of the Crown, Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
social fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
, Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. The smallest of the three internationally recognized law fraternities , Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the three major law fraternities to charter chapters in the United States at...
law fraternity, the Houston and Texas bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
s, and in later years was agent for the TAMU Class of 1938.
Rollins wrote the book, Aggies, Y'All Caught That Dam'Ol' Rat Yet?, a humorous account of his experiences as a freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
at Texas A&M.