By Lengefeld                                          H.C.R. No. 87
         76R6340 MDM-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, Texans will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
 1-2     founding of Tarleton State University in 1999, and such an august
 1-3     occasion is indeed worthy of special legislative recognition; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, John Tarleton College opened its doors on September
 1-5     4, 1899, in Stephenville, this venerable institution went through
 1-6     several name changes until its current designation was approved in
 1-7     1973 by the Texas Legislature; during the school's first century of
 1-8     operation, enrollment has grown from the initial 122 students to
 1-9     more than 6,300 today, representing hometowns from 251 Texas
1-10     counties as well as all 50 states and 33 foreign countries; the
1-11     university now offers 68 bachelor's degrees, 21 master's degrees,
1-12     and one cooperative doctoral degree; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Tarleton State University has the largest
1-14     non-land-grant agricultural education program in the United States
1-15     and graduates more agricultural education teachers than any other
1-16     institution in the nation; in addition, graduates from all of its
1-17     programs have made significant contributions in the areas of
1-18     politics, business, medicine, space exploration, agriculture,
1-19     theater, liberal arts, and education and are counted among
1-20     well-known state, national, and world leaders; and
1-21           WHEREAS, Exemplary educational services are provided by the
1-22     institution to the people of Texas, including an innovative
1-23     alternative teacher education and certification program, a
1-24     nationally ranked clinical laboratory sciences program, and an
 2-1     award-winning computer information systems program; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, Continually updating its curriculum and developing
 2-3     new methodologies, the university delivers academic courses by
 2-4     Internet and interactive television as well as by more traditional
 2-5     means, and it is also home to the Texas Institute for Applied
 2-6     Environmental Research, which plays a national leadership role in
 2-7     environmental issues related to water quality and other
 2-8     environmental science topics and provides invaluable information
 2-9     regarding the Bosque River Basin; and
2-10           WHEREAS, The school's proud history of traditions includes
2-11     the homecoming bonfire, drum beating, the snake dance, cruise the
2-12     island, and, more recently, Duck Camp; the campus also hosts more
2-13     than 100 student organizations, including a unique spirit group,
2-14     the Tarleton Purple Poo, that originated in the 1920s from the Ten
2-15     Tarleton Peppers and the Ten Tarleton Sisters; the ROTC program,
2-16     created in 1917, is one of the oldest established military programs
2-17     in the nation; and
2-18           WHEREAS, Tarleton's men's and women's rodeo teams have been
2-19     national contenders for more than 30 years, and the school's
2-20     intercollegiate athletic teams have competed on the regional and
2-21     national levels with great success throughout the university's
2-22     history; and
2-23           WHEREAS, Physical facilities have been expanded and improved
2-24     to provide access to outstanding educational, cultural, and
2-25     athletic events for students and citizens of the Cross Timbers
2-26     Area; construction of a new $30 million science building has also
2-27     been approved and will provide state-of-the-art research
 3-1     laboratories and classrooms; the university's expansion has
 3-2     extended to Granbury with the Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and
 3-3     Educational Center and to Killeen with the newly approved Tarleton
 3-4     University System Center--Central Texas; and
 3-5           WHEREAS, Throughout its admirable history, Tarleton State
 3-6     University has effectively addressed the educational needs of its
 3-7     community, and in doing so it has greatly enhanced the educational,
 3-8     social, and cultural fabric of the north central region of our
 3-9     state; now, therefore, be it
3-10           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-11     hereby commemorate the centennial of the founding of Tarleton State
3-12     University, recognize the university's many outstanding
3-13     contributions to Texas, and extend sincere best wishes to its
3-14     administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni for continued
3-15     success; and, be it further
3-16           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-17     prepared for prominent display at Tarleton State University as an
3-18     expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and
3-19     Senate.