82R14213 KO-D

By: Branch H.C.R. No. 10

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Southern Methodist University is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding and 10 decades of educational excellence in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Created in 1911 by what is now the United Methodist Church with support from Dallas community leaders, Southern Methodist University is a private institution of higher education that is nonsectarian in its teaching; recognized as a top-tier national university by U.S. News & World Report, the school has an enrollment of nearly 11,000 students who come from all 50 states and more than 90 foreign countries and who represent diverse economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, SMU offers 123 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate and professional programs, including 25 doctorates through seven schools in the humanities and sciences, performing, visual, and communication arts, business, engineering, education and human development, law, and theology; its 10 libraries house the largest private collection of research materials in the Southwest, with more than three million volumes; the school has more than 660 full-time faculty members and nearly 112,000 alumni worldwide, with about half that number residing in Texas; and

WHEREAS, Along with a threefold increase in applications over the last 15 years, SMU has seen the average SAT scores of its first-year undergraduate students rise approximately 100 points in the past decade; the university has greatly expanded its study abroad options, and now affords access to 145 programs in nearly 50 countries; SMU's endowment surpassed $1 billion in 2005; and

WHEREAS, SMU will be the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will feature a library, museum, and independent institute and is scheduled to open in 2013; the university is also home to the Meadows Museum, which boasts one of the finest collections of Spanish artworks outside of Spain, with pieces by El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Picasso, and Miro; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of an eventful century, Southern Methodist University has provided its students with an education that has enriched them both academically and personally, and in so doing, the school has made important contributions to Texas and the world beyond; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas hereby honor Southern Methodist University for its 10 decades of outstanding service and extend to the university's administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni sincere best wishes for a successful centennial celebration; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Southern Methodist University as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.