SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 278

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is proud to recognize the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin on the prestigious institution's 50th anniversary, which is being celebrated throughout the year; and

WHEREAS, One of the world's foremost cultural institutions, the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center serves the state and nation as both a museum and a research laboratory; its public displays thrill visitors with their scope and beauty while its skilled researchers study materials to better understand the creative process; and

WHEREAS, The center is home to a vast array of materials from around the world; on permanent display are a Gutenberg Bible, one of only 21 complete copies in the world, and the first photograph, "View from the Window at Le Gras," a heliograph produced in France in 1826; and

WHEREAS, The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center housesthe manuscript collections of such authors as James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, and Tennessee Williams; it is also home to the film archives of David O. Selznick and Robert De Niro and paintings by such artist as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera; and

WHEREAS, The center continues to actively acquire new materials for its collections; recent acquisitions include the Watergate papers of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and the archives of writer and cultural figure Norman Mailer and acting teacher Stella Adler; and

WHEREAS, With a $14.5 million renovation completed in 2003, the center has made a transition into the 21st century; it is truly an extraordinarily valuable resource for the people of our state, our nation, and people from around the globe; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 80th Legislature, hereby commend the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin for its role in helping to preserve the world's cultural treasures and extend congratulations to all associated with the center on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the center as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Watson

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 19, 2007.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate