A New Name For Preston Road?
Texas has designated Preston Road (State Highway 289), from Northwest Highway to Royal Lane, as the Harold C. Simmons Memorial Highway.
The Texas Department of Transportation didn’t remove any “Preston” signs, but in mid-January did install 30-inch-by-36-inch markers in Simmons’ memory on either end of that stretch of road.
“Harold was driven by an everlasting care for the future of our state and our city,” his widow Annette Simmons said. “While Harold might scoff at the personal recognition, we know that he earned this honor.”
Simmons, a self-made billionaire who was born and reared in East Texas, and his wife donated hundreds of millions of dollars to medical groups, educational institutions, and charitable and civic organizations.
House Bill 3964, designating the section of roadway as a memorial highway, unanimously passed both chambers of the 85th Texas Legislature. Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Don Huffines, and Rep. Morgan Meyer presented the Simmons family with memorial highway signs on Jan. 12.
“Harold Clark Simmons was a great Texan and an inspiration to many, not only in Dallas, but across this great state,” Abbott said. “His impressive accomplishments in business truly reflect the Texas spirit of entrepreneurship that continue to drive our thriving economy today.”
