1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 74
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is proud to
 1-4     recognize Southwest Texas State University on the historic
 1-5     occasion of its 100th birthday; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, On March 3, 1899, State Representative Fred Cocke
 1-7     introduced a bill in the Texas House of Representatives to locate
 1-8     a normal school in San Marcos; backed by Senator J. B. Dibrell in
 1-9     the Senate, the bill was passed and signed by Governor J. D. Sayers
1-10     on May 10, 1899; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Southwest Texas Normal School opened its doors in
1-12     September, 1903, as a two-year teacher preparation institution; it
1-13     started out with 303 students and a faculty of 17; and
1-14           WHEREAS, Southwest Texas State University received university
1-15     status in 1969; today, it is a comprehensive university with an
1-16     enrollment of more than 21,000 students and offers 110 undergraduate
1-17     degree programs, 77 graduate degree programs, and doctoral programs
1-18     in environmental geography and geographic education; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Diplomas have been granted to some 100,000 graduates
1-20     of the prestigious educational institution, who have applied their
1-21     knowledge in varied careers in Texas and throughout the world; and
1-22           WHEREAS, Situated on the Balcones Fault that separates the
1-23     Texas Hill Country from the coastal plains, the original 11-acre
1-24     campus was donated by the City of San Marcos in 1899, and the
 2-1     Texas Senate appropriated $35,000 to erect buildings in 1901; the
 2-2     campus has expanded to 427 acres, plus more than 4,000 acres in
 2-3     ranching, farming, and recreation; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, The alma mater of President Lyndon B. Johnson,
 2-5     Class of 1930, Southwest Texas State University boasts other
 2-6     famous alumni, including singer George Strait, Olympic champion
 2-7     Charles Austin, actor Powers Boothe, director Thomas Carter, and
 2-8     educator Tomas Rivera; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, Admissions standards for the university are among
2-10     the highest in the state for public institutions; the school
2-11     was ranked by Money magazine as one of the "best buys" among
2-12     public universities for in-state students, the only Texas school
2-13     named; it was also named one of the 12 hot spots to go to school
2-14     in Newsweek's 1998 Kaplan college issue; and
2-15           WHEREAS, The university's undergraduate geography program
2-16     is ranked first in the nation by the Association of American
2-17     Geographers; the Ph.D. program in geography was initiated in
2-18     1996; and
2-19           WHEREAS, Southwest Texas State University has received
2-20     national recognition for its School of Business as well as its
2-21     programs in physics, creative writing, jazz, marketing and
2-22     advertising, long-term health care, physical therapy, speech
2-23     therapy, polymer chemistry, aquatic biology, materials physics,
2-24     education, and numerous others; and
2-25           WHEREAS, Endowed by both private gifts and national grants,
2-26     the university has attracted outstanding faculty members to its
 3-1     campus; nine have been named Piper Professors and two have been
 3-2     named the best in the nation by their professional organizations;
 3-3     and
 3-4           WHEREAS, All Texans can take pride in the growth and
 3-5     development of this excellent educational institution as it
 3-6     celebrates its centennial anniversary; now, therefore, be it
 3-7           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-8     76th Legislature, hereby designate March 3, 1999, as Southwest
 3-9     Texas State University Day in the Texas Legislature and extend
3-10     best wishes to its faculty, students, and staff for a most
3-11     joyous and heartwarming anniversary celebration; and, be it further
3-12           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the
3-13     occasion as an expression of the high regard of the Texas Senate.
3-14                                                              Armbrister
3-15                                  ______________________________________
3-16                                          President of the Senate
3-17                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-18                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-19                                  on January 25, 1999.
3-20                                  ______________________________________
3-21                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-22                                  ______________________________________
3-23                                           Member, Texas Senate