SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 519

WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting Austin on March 26, 2013, to pay tribute to their city's rich heritage and to celebrate Lubbock Day at the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, A thriving region of the state, the Lubbock area is one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; archeologists have discovered evidence of some 12,000 years of continuous habitation at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a national historic and state archeological preserve; and

WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16, 1909; the railroads stimulated the city's growth as a trade center, but residents also wanted the benefits of an institution of higher learning; when legislation creating Texas Technological College was finally passed in 1923, the site selection committee, impressed by the enthusiasm and hospitality of its citizens, chose Lubbock for its location; and

WHEREAS, Today a city of approximately 220,000 people, Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech University System and its flagship institution, Texas Tech University, a university well deserving of tier one status; and

WHEREAS, Lubbock enjoys a diverse economy that draws its strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as from educational and medical facilities, boasting the largest medical infrastructure between Dallas and Phoenix; with the growth of cotton culture on the High Plains, Lubbock has become one of the world's primary centers for the processing of cottonseed and hybrid grain sorghum seed; and

WHEREAS, Lubbock also offers a wealth of cultural and recreational opportunities, including the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Lubbock Civic Ballet, the Museum and Planetarium of Texas Tech University, the Silent Wings Museum, and many other cultural offerings at Texas Tech University; and

WHEREAS, Those wanting a glimpse of the frontier can find it in the restored structures at the Ranching Heritage Center, a 15-acre site tracing the evolution of ranch architecture and the history of the cattle industry; the region's history is also celebrated at the American Museum of Agriculture; and

WHEREAS, The talented musicians who have come from the Lubbock area include Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Maines family, Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock; their rich and diverse contributions have earned Lubbock recognition as "The Music Crossroads of Texas"; and

WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving business community is represented by the largest business federation on the Texas South Plains, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, which in 2013 marks its Centennial, celebrating 100 years growing and guarding the prosperity of the Lubbock area; and

WHEREAS, Early major achievements propelled by the Lubbock chamber during this century of service include recruiting farmers from out of state to populate and make productive the fertile soils of the Llano Estacado, working to bring the railroad to Lubbock, establishing the South Plains Fair, and drafting and delivering the application to the Texas Capitol that would result in establishing Texas Technological College, which today thrives as the heart of the Texas Tech University System; and

WHEREAS, The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in establishing Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Reese Air Force Base, outstanding transportation infrastructure, and a revolutionary market-driven Chamber Employer Health Plan that is a model nationwide; and

WHEREAS, The Lubbock Chamber caps off this 100-year history by leading the Imagine Lubbock Together community-wide visioning and planning effort, and today it is one of fewer than 70 chambers of commerce to be accredited at the five-star level by the United States Chamber of Commerce; it has twice been named Chamber of the Year nationwide by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, in 2008 and in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Among the delegation visiting the Capitol today are proud members of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Leadership Lubbock Class of 2012-2013, who represent the future business and community leaders of Lubbock; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of Lubbock have truly kept faith with the founders of their West Texas community; renowned for their friendliness and warmth as well as their hardiness and determination, they have helped to build a vital urban center that serves not only a large part of West Texas but also eastern New Mexico; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby recognize March 26, 2013, as Lubbock Day at the State Capitol and congratulate the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on its Centennial Celebration, extending to the members of the visiting delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for the bright luster they add to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of this special day.

Duncan

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 26, 2013.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate