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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Since the early 20th century, extension service |
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agents have helped to improve the lives of countless Texans and |
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contributed immeasurably to the development of the Lone Star State; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Extension work in Texas dates back to 1903, when Dr. |
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Seaman A. Knapp, a U.S. Department of Agriculture special agent for |
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the promotion of agriculture in the South, conducted a |
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demonstration project at the Walter C. Porter farm in Kaufman |
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County; the success of the project quickly led to the launching of |
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myriad other demonstration farms, as well as to the establishment |
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of the first program in the country whereby an agricultural agent |
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would serve a single county; that program was initiated with the |
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hiring of William C. Stallings in Smith County in 1906; and |
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WHEREAS, To encourage an interest in improved agricultural |
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and domestic science techniques, boys' and girls' clubs, the |
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forerunners of 4-H, were also established; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1914 the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Lever |
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Act, a measure requiring each state to set up a cooperative |
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extension service that would be funded jointly by federal, state, |
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and local governments; based at the land-grant universities, these |
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outreach programs were intended to foster agricultural development |
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and improve the lives of rural Americans by providing practical |
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information and training based on university research; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas, which by that time had a burgeoning extension |
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program, created extension services at Texas A&M University and at |
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Prairie View A&M University; now known respectively as Texas |
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Cooperative Extension and the Cooperative Extension Program, these |
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services are both administered under the auspices of The Texas A&M |
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University System; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, county extension agents and extension |
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specialists develop a wide array of educational and technology |
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training programs in response to the needs of their local |
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communities, both rural and urban, in all 254 counties of the state; |
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program areas include agriculture and natural resources, 4-H and |
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youth development, family and consumer sciences, and community |
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resources and economic development; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to the historic mission of |
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cooperative extension, staff members of the Texas extension system |
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continue to promote lifelong learning for the purposes of |
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self-improvement, individual action, and community |
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problem-solving, and they are indeed deserving of commendation for |
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their outstanding public service; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the personnel of Texas Cooperative |
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Extension and the Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program |
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for their substantial contributions to enhancing individual |
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quality of life, strengthening local communities, and furthering |
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the economic prosperity of this state. |