FRED JOSEPH AGNICH 18-year veteran of Legislature helped GOP take root in Dallas:- Saturday, October 30, 2004

Fred Joseph Agnich was a longtime, stalwart Dallas County Republican, a successful business executive, dedicated outdoorsman and civic leader.

In 1970, he was the first Republican elected countywide in Dallas since Reconstruction. Beginning with a grass-roots effort in the 1950s, he played a key role in establishing the Republican Party as a force in Dallas.

His curriculum vitae included serving from 1970 to 1988 in the Texas Legislature, where he was a charter member of the Dirty 30, a group of reform-minded legislators who banded together to try to unseat former House Speaker Gus Mutscher in 1971 after the Sharpstown bank-fraud scandal.

Mr. Agnich, 91, died Thursday of natural causes at his Dallas home.

A memorial service will be at noon Wednesday at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, 9800 Preston Road. A private burial will be in Calvary Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Restland Funeral Home.

"Fred lived an absolutely full life," said his daughter-in-law Tory Agnich of Dallas. "He was well-loved by people from all sides of the political spectrum. He probably had enough excitement, energy, ups and downs, successes and risk taking for two whole people and two whole lives."

With the Texas Legislature, Mr. Agnich wrote and sponsored the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1983 as chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee. The act put the care and management of all fish and wildlife into the hands of biologists and professional managers.

Born in Eveleth, Minn., Mr. Agnich earned a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Minnesota in 1937.

He came to Texas to join a young Dallas company, Geophysical Service Inc., one of the first independent prospecting companies to perform seismic exploration for petroleum.

With GSI, he explored for oil around the world including in Venezuela, what is now Pakistan and in Sumatra.

In 1951, he succeeded Cecil Green as vice president of GSI and became president of the company in 1955.

GSI's electronics division became Texas Instruments Inc. Mr. Agnich was president of GSI until 1959. He was an officer and a member of TI's board of directors from May 1953 to February 1961.

After leaving TI, Mr. Agnich focused his business attention on independent oil and natural gas ventures and ranching.

But it was politics that put Mr. Agnich in headlines for decades in Dallas.

He entered politics as a fund-raiser in 1952. He became a Republican leader, serving as county chairman from 1967 to 1969, a member of the party's state executive committee from 1969 to 1972 and vice chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1974 to 1976. He was a Texas committeeman for the Republican National Committee from 1972 to 1976.

He was Dallas County chairman for presidential candidates Barry Goldwater and John Connally. He was a fund-raiser for a host of candidates, including Richard Nixon, John Tower and George H.W. Bush.

His civic activities included serving as a director for the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the Dallas Civic Opera, the Dallas Historical Society and the Dallas Petroleum Club.

Mr. Agnich was a trustee for the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, now the University of Texas at Dallas, and former director and chairman of the board of governors for the Greenhill School. He was instrumental in getting the Greenhill School its current location, his family said.

Mr. Agnich's first wife, Ruth Welton Agnich, died in November 1975.

He is survived by his wife, Brooksie Penland Agnich of Dallas; three sons, Richard J. Agnich of Dallas, William F. Agnich of Kingston, Okla., and James R. Agnich of Houston; a sister, Dorothea Grigg of Biwabik, Minn.; as well as Brooksie Agnich's three daughters, Annette Gilger and Pebble Fry, both of Dallas, and Julia Klein of Ouray, Colo.; and two sons, Raymond Willie and Brook Willie, both of Dallas; and six Agnich family grandchildren.

FRED JOSEPH AGNICH 18-year veteran of Legislature helped GOP take root in Dallas:- Saturday, October 30, 2004

Fred Joseph Agnich was a longtime, stalwart Dallas County Republican, a successful business executive, dedicated outdoorsman and civic leader.

In 1970, he was the first Republican elected countywide in Dallas since Reconstruction. Beginning with a grass-roots effort in the 1950s, he played a key role in establishing the Republican Party as a force in Dallas.

His curriculum vitae included serving from 1970 to 1988 in the Texas Legislature, where he was a charter member of the Dirty 30, a group of reform-minded legislators who banded together to try to unseat former House Speaker Gus Mutscher in 1971 after the Sharpstown bank-fraud scandal.

Mr. Agnich, 91, died Thursday of natural causes at his Dallas home.

A memorial service will be at noon Wednesday at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, 9800 Preston Road. A private burial will be in Calvary Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Restland Funeral Home.

"Fred lived an absolutely full life," said his daughter-in-law Tory Agnich of Dallas. "He was well-loved by people from all sides of the political spectrum. He probably had enough excitement, energy, ups and downs, successes and risk taking for two whole people and two whole lives."

With the Texas Legislature, Mr. Agnich wrote and sponsored the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1983 as chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee. The act put the care and management of all fish and wildlife into the hands of biologists and professional managers.

Born in Eveleth, Minn., Mr. Agnich earned a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Minnesota in 1937.

He came to Texas to join a young Dallas company, Geophysical Service Inc., one of the first independent prospecting companies to perform seismic exploration for petroleum.

With GSI, he explored for oil around the world including in Venezuela, what is now Pakistan and in Sumatra.

In 1951, he succeeded Cecil Green as vice president of GSI and became president of the company in 1955.

GSI's electronics division became Texas Instruments Inc. Mr. Agnich was president of GSI until 1959. He was an officer and a member of TI's board of directors from May 1953 to February 1961.

After leaving TI, Mr. Agnich focused his business attention on independent oil and natural gas ventures and ranching.

But it was politics that put Mr. Agnich in headlines for decades in Dallas.

He entered politics as a fund-raiser in 1952. He became a Republican leader, serving as county chairman from 1967 to 1969, a member of the party's state executive committee from 1969 to 1972 and vice chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1974 to 1976. He was a Texas committeeman for the Republican National Committee from 1972 to 1976.

He was Dallas County chairman for presidential candidates Barry Goldwater and John Connally. He was a fund-raiser for a host of candidates, including Richard Nixon, John Tower and George H.W. Bush.

His civic activities included serving as a director for the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the Dallas Civic Opera, the Dallas Historical Society and the Dallas Petroleum Club.

Mr. Agnich was a trustee for the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, now the University of Texas at Dallas, and former director and chairman of the board of governors for the Greenhill School. He was instrumental in getting the Greenhill School its current location, his family said.

Mr. Agnich's first wife, Ruth Welton Agnich, died in November 1975.

He is survived by his wife, Brooksie Penland Agnich of Dallas; three sons, Richard J. Agnich of Dallas, William F. Agnich of Kingston, Okla., and James R. Agnich of Houston; a sister, Dorothea Grigg of Biwabik, Minn.; as well as Brooksie Agnich's three daughters, Annette Gilger and Pebble Fry, both of Dallas, and Julia Klein of Ouray, Colo.; and two sons, Raymond Willie and Brook Willie, both of Dallas; and six Agnich family grandchildren.