78R4801 JHS-D

By:  Brown of Brazos                                              H.R. No. 176


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Longhorns and Aggies will unite today at the State Capitol to celebrate Orange and Maroon Legislative Day 2003 and to promote higher education in the State of Texas; and WHEREAS, Delegates from the Texas Exes and The Association of Former Students--the two alumni associations for The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University--have set aside the longstanding rivalry between these two outstanding institutions in a symbolic gesture of unity and state pride; and WHEREAS, Alumni from the two schools total some 710,000, and between them UT and A&M have a combined annual enrollment of more than 95,000 students, with nearly 21,000 students receiving a degree each year; the schools boast numerous superb museums and libraries, including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and both universities are renowned for their exceptional research; and WHEREAS, Both UT and A&M help prepare Texas youth for higher education through the universities' six outreach centers located throughout the state, and more than 90 percent of the centers' participants have successfully pursued higher education; and WHEREAS, The universities' faculties feature Nobel laureates and nationally recognized scholars, and the student bodies include national merit scholars, gold-medal winning Olympians, and many of the Lone Star State's most promising young people; in addition, the schools offer an amazing range of postgraduate opportunities through the nearly 300 graduate degree programs that are available; and WHEREAS, Both The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University have established themselves as preeminent institutions of higher education on the state, national, and international levels, and Texans are fortunate to have access to these two exceptional state university systems; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 11, 2003, as Orange and Maroon Legislative Day and commend alumni from UT and A&M for their commitment to promoting higher education in the Lone Star State.