By King                                               H.R. No. 1117

         75R16529 WMS-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Mary Nan West has devoted her

 1-2     time and energy to the cause of agriculture in the State of Texas,

 1-3     and among her greatest accomplishments in this regard has been her

 1-4     service to The Texas A&M University System as a member of its board

 1-5     of regents; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, At the age of 18 she began overseeing operations on

 1-7     her grandparent's Rafter S Ranch, and that invaluable experience

 1-8     enabled her to develop the leadership skills, integrity, and

 1-9     unshakeable values that have been the hallmark of all her many

1-10     efforts; and

1-11           WHEREAS, Ms. West was appointed to The Texas A&M University

1-12     System's board of regents in 1991, and her fellow regents selected

1-13     her to hold the regent's chair, making her the first woman to be so

1-14     honored; and

1-15           WHEREAS, During her highly productive tenure as a regent at

1-16     Texas A&M University, she consistently made the needs of students

1-17     her first priority and never allowed her distinguished colleagues

1-18     to forget that the "A" in A&M stood for agriculture; and

1-19           WHEREAS, Truly a trailblazer in her field, Ms. West was the

1-20     first woman to serve on the Texas Animal Health Commission, and

1-21     the first of her gender to hold the office of president of the San

1-22     Antonio Livestock Exposition Board, where she later served as

1-23     chair; and

1-24           WHEREAS, Under her able leadership the San Antonio livestock

 2-1     show's volunteer corps quadrupled and its scholarship fund

 2-2     increased dramatically; in addition, she established from show

 2-3     funds an education program to teach San Antonio's schoolchildren

 2-4     where their food supply originates; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, Throughout the history of the Lone Star State,

 2-6     agriculture has played a significant role in the state's economy,

 2-7     and Mary Nan West's many achievements in this vital area are indeed

 2-8     worthy of special legislative recognition; now, therefore, be it

 2-9           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-10     Legislature honor Mary Nan West on her commitment to  the promotion

2-11     of agriculture in the State of Texas and her extraordinary service

2-12     to The Texas A&M University System as a member of the board of

2-13     regents; and, be it further

2-14           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-15     prepared for Mary Nan West as an expression of high regard by the

2-16     Texas House of Representatives.