By Turner of Harris                             H.C.R. No. 97

      75R5976 WMS-F                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, It is the custom of this state to pay tribute to

 1-2     important Lone Star citizens by naming public institutions and

 1-3     public facilities in their honor; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, Hoover Carden, the founding director of the

 1-5     Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University, is

 1-6     one such individual worthy of this distinction; since 1972 he has

 1-7     made it his life's mission to provide educational assistance to the

 1-8     neediest residents of Texas, helping them build a brighter and more

 1-9     prosperous future for themselves and their children; and

1-10           WHEREAS, One of our state's most ardent and articulate

1-11     supporters of public education, Mr. Carden has been a leader in

1-12     agricultural extension service and administration at the local,

1-13     state, and national levels for many years; as a member of the

1-14     national Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, he helped

1-15     secure much-needed funding for Texas land grant institutions and is

1-16     widely respected by his colleagues for the knowledge, insight, and

1-17     expertise he brings to his work each day; and

1-18           WHEREAS, This exemplary educator and administrator has been a

1-19     driving force behind the creation and expansion of the Cooperative

1-20     Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University, a unique

1-21     agricultural program that serves the needs of small farmers and

1-22     families with limited resources; the educational camp programs and

1-23     activities he has developed for inner-city youth have been

1-24     overwhelmingly successful, and countless young Texans have been

 2-1     inspired by their experiences with the program to attend Prairie

 2-2     View A&M University and other outstanding institutions of higher

 2-3     learning in the Lone Star State; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, Named one of the top black agriculturalists in the

 2-5     state by the Texas Department of Agriculture, Mr. Carden currently

 2-6     serves as administrator of the Prairie View A&M University

 2-7     Cooperative Extension Program and continues to help shape the

 2-8     future of Texas agriculture; in light of the many notable

 2-9     contributions he has made to the Lone Star State, it is indeed

2-10     fitting that his legacy of innovation, commitment, and

2-11     determination be officially commemorated for future generations of

2-12     Texans; now, therefore, be it

2-13           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-14     hereby direct Prairie View A&M University to name the institution's

2-15     Cooperative Extension Building the Hoover Carden Cooperative

2-16     Extension Building; and, be it further

2-17           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-18     prepared for Mr. Carden and that the secretary of state forward an

2-19     official copy of this resolution to Prairie View A&M University.