By: Madla S.C.R. No. 67 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The year 1999 marks the National Intercollegiate 1-2 Rodeo Association's (NIRA) 50th anniversary, and as this remarkable 1-3 group has ties and traditions rooted deep in the heart of Texas, 1-4 this event is especially worthy of special recognition; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Half a century ago, in a room in the Baker Hotel in 1-6 Dallas, 33 dedicated cowboys and cowgirls representing 13 colleges 1-7 and universities in six states met and formed what has since become 1-8 the nation's premier college rodeo organization; and 1-9 WHEREAS, The idea for an official college rodeo circuit had 1-10 begun in November, 1948, at Sul Ross State University in Alpine; 1-11 after a series of organizational meetings the first College 1-12 National Finals Rodeo was held at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, 1-13 California, in April, 1949; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Texans were a commanding presence in the inaugural 1-15 rodeo competition that year; Sul Ross State University won the 1-16 national men's team championship and Sul Ross student Harley May 1-17 garnered the first individual all-around title; shortly thereafter, 1-18 on August 5, 1949, the NIRA was chartered in the Lone Star State 1-19 and Texas A&M's Charlie Rankin was elected as the group's first 1-20 president; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Texas, which has since adopted rodeo as its official 1-22 state sport, has maintained its strong presence on the college 1-23 rodeo front even as the steady growth in popularity of rodeo events 1-24 has taken the sport nationwide; today the NIRA boasts 137 college 2-1 and university associates in 11 regions, with more than 3,500 2-2 student members, and the organization hosts more than 100 college 2-3 rodeos every year; and 2-4 WHEREAS, The 1999 NIRA College National Finals Rodeo will be 2-5 held in Casper, Wyoming, on June 13-19; with an emphasis on 2-6 education, the "Rose Bowl" of college rodeos and its sponsors will 2-7 distribute more than $200,000 in scholarships this year; and 2-8 WHEREAS, One highlight of the upcoming finals event will no 2-9 doubt be the "Golden" reunion of those hands that rode in the first 2-10 NIRA championship 50 years ago, for they and the organization they 2-11 built have traveled far in the past five decades; and 2-12 WHEREAS, With its unique place in history and geography, 2-13 Texas can lay claim to being the birthplace of rodeo, and the 2-14 efforts of the NIRA have proven indispensable in gaining 2-15 well-deserved recognition and acclaim for this beloved sport; now, 2-16 therefore, be it 2-17 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-18 hereby congratulate the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association 2-19 on the occasion of the group's 50th anniversary, and that the 2-20 organizers and sponsors of the 1999 NIRA College National Finals 2-21 Rodeo be recognized for their exceptional efforts in behalf of this 2-22 year's contestants as well as the group's founders and early 2-23 participants; and, be it further 2-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-25 prepared for the NIRA as an expression of highest regard by the 2-26 Texas Senate and House of Representatives.