1-1                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 917

        1-2           WHEREAS, The Senate of Texas is proud to recognize

        1-3     Mary Nan West, former chair of The Texas A&M University System,

        1-4     who brought her leadership skills, integrity, and unshakable

        1-5     values to the position; at the young age of 18, she was overseeing

        1-6     operations on her grandparents' South Texas ranch, the Rafter S

        1-7     Ranch; and

        1-8           WHEREAS, Appointed to The Texas A&M University System's board

        1-9     of regents by the governor in 1991, Mary Nan West was selected by

       1-10     her fellow regents to hold the regent's chair, becoming the first

       1-11     woman to fill that position; and

       1-12           WHEREAS, While serving on the board of regents, Mary Nan West

       1-13     made the students in The Texas A&M University System her first

       1-14     priority; and

       1-15           WHEREAS, Mary Nan West never let her colleagues forget that

       1-16     the A in A&M stood for agriculture; and

       1-17           WHEREAS, The first woman to serve on the Texas Animal

       1-18     Health Commission and the first woman to serve as president and

       1-19     chair of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Board, she oversaw

       1-20     the successful growth of the show's scholarship fund, and she

       1-21     quadrupled the show's volunteer corps; and

       1-22           WHEREAS, From stock show funds, this outstanding woman

       1-23     established an educational program to teach San Antonio

        2-1     schoolchildren about where their food supply originates; now,

        2-2     therefore, be it

        2-3           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

        2-4     75th Legislature, hereby congratulate Mary Nan West for her

        2-5     lifetime of work and contributions to Texas agriculture and

        2-6     extend appreciation to her for her six years of extraordinary

        2-7     service to The Texas A&M University System; and, be it further

        2-8           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

        2-9     her as an expression of the heartfelt esteem of the Texas Senate.

       2-10                                                                   Ogden

       2-11                                  ______________________________________

       2-12                                          President of the Senate

       2-13                                       I hereby certify that the above

       2-14                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

       2-15                                  on May 29, 1997.

       2-16                                  ______________________________________

       2-17                                          Secretary of the Senate

       2-18                                  ______________________________________

       2-19                                           Member, Texas Senate