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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson High School in El Paso is |
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celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, The first high school to be built in the eastern part |
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of El Paso, Jefferson opened its doors on September 6, 1949; J. M. |
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Whitaker, the first principal, and the Parent Teacher Association |
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chose the school colors, silver and scarlet, and mascot, the silver |
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fox, so that the football and band uniforms could be ready by the |
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start of the fall semester; music for the school song and fight song |
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was composed by Roy Wilson, the band director, and the lyrics for |
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both songs were written by his wife; and |
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WHEREAS, Departments at the new school included business, |
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English, Spanish, mechanical drawing, home economics, physical |
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education, art, band, mathematics, journalism, agriculture, social |
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studies, manual training, and distributive education; and |
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WHEREAS, A wide array of extracurricular activities were |
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organized during the first few years, ranging from the Junior |
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Historians, the Pan American club, and the Junior Nurses Aid Corps |
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to the "J" Club, for students who lettered in sports, the Officers |
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Club, for members of JROTC, and theater, science, and radio |
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organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, The first school year saw the establishment of |
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student government, the yearbook, named El Capitan, after the |
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highest peak in Texas, and the student paper, the Branding Iron, |
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along with such traditions as the junior and senior proms and the |
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selection of a football queen, JROTC queen, and basketball |
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sweetheart; and |
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WHEREAS, Jefferson sports got off to a roaring start in |
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1949-1950 with the B basketball team winning the school's first |
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championship and the baseball team taking second place in the |
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district; during the school's second year, Jefferson claimed |
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district championships in baseball, basketball, and golf; |
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intramural competition was also organized early on for both male |
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and female students; and |
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WHEREAS, Since graduating its first class of 21 seniors in |
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1950, this venerable school has educated thousands of El Paso |
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students and provided a strong academic foundation on which they |
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could build rewarding and fulfilling lives; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 60th anniversary of the opening |
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of Thomas Jefferson High School and extend to all those associated |
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with the school sincere best wishes for continued success in all |
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their endeavors; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Thomas Jefferson High School as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |