Walter William Fondren, III

Walter Fondren, III, made important contributions to the conservation of coastal fisheries in Texas and beyond. In 1977, he co-founded the Gulf Coastal Conservation Association (now grown into a national group known as the Coastal Conservation Association, or CCA), which managed to get legislation, House Bill 1000, passed in 1977 to protect redfish and speckled trout from commercial harvest. From 1982 through 1992, he served on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Recognizing his conservation work, he received the Harvey Weil Sportsman/Conservationist Award and the Charles H. Lyle Award.