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79R9545 MAM-D

By:  Phillips                                                     H.R. No. 804



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Sam Rayburn Library and Museum in Bonham is 
celebrating its 50th anniversary on December 9, 2005, and this 
occasion provides an opportunity to take note of the history of this 
landmark and to honor its esteemed namesake, Speaker Sam Rayburn; 
and
	WHEREAS, Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn was the longest-serving 
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in our 
nation's history; born near Kingston, Tennessee, in 1882, he moved 
to Fannin County as a child and attended rural schools before 
studying law at The University of Texas at Austin; he settled in 
Bonham, where he practiced law, and served as a member of the Texas 
House of Representatives; in 1913, he was elected to the U.S. 
Congress and served 24 consecutive terms until his death in 1961; 
and
	WHEREAS, In the 1940s, Speaker Rayburn initiated efforts to 
build a library to house his books, personal papers, and mementos, 
and soon after, he established a charitable trust, the Sam Rayburn 
Foundation, to collect sufficient funds for the new building 
project; an architect from Dallas, Roscoe DeWitt, offered his 
services as a donation, and the foundation purchased a plot of land 
for $10,000; groundbreaking ceremonies took place on December 10, 
1955, and the building was completed in 1957; and
	WHEREAS, This treasured library is a valuable site of 
American history and a lasting tribute to a great political leader; 
the building preserves the materials of the Speaker's 48-year 
political career and includes an exact replica of his office at the 
U.S. Capitol; the museum houses a rare collection of Congressional 
and Presidential papers, artifacts, furnishings, and books; and
	WHEREAS, The Sam Rayburn Library and Museum is a unique 
monument to regional and national politics during the first half of 
the 20th century, and it is most fitting to pay tribute to all those 
who have worked to preserve the building and sustain the legacy of 
its heralded statesman; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum on the 
occasion of its 50th anniversary and extend sincere best wishes to 
all those involved with this venerable institution for continued 
success in their important work.