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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Students, faculty, and members of the |
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administration of Prairie View A&M University are visiting the |
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State Capitol on March 2, 2015, and this occasion provides a fitting |
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opportunity to pay tribute to the rich history and continuing |
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achievements of this notable institution; and |
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WHEREAS, Prairie View A&M University dates back to 1876, when |
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the 15th Texas Legislature established a school known as the "Alta |
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Vista Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored |
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Youth" during Reconstruction; the first students enrolled in 1878, |
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and a normal school for training teachers, the state's first |
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coeducational public institution of higher learning, was created by |
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the legislature the following year; the normal school and the |
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agricultural and mechanical college were combined by the 20th |
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Legislature in 1887; and |
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WHEREAS, The institution expanded its curriculum to four |
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years in 1901 and began offering intercollegiate athletics three |
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years later; a cooperative agricultural extension program was added |
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in 1914, and establishment of the Army Reserve Officer Training |
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Corps followed in 1917; during the 1920s, the school introduced the |
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first baccalaureate degrees and a school of nursing, took part in |
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the organization of the Southwest Athletic Conference, and |
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initiated the Prairie View Interscholastic League for African |
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American high schools, which later merged with the University |
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Interscholastic League; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1937, a graduate school was established at |
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Prairie View; the school began a program for commissioning U.S. |
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Army officers in 1943 and naval reserve officers in 1968; five |
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commissioned officers from the school's army training corps have |
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gone on to become three-star generals, and three officers from its |
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navy training corps have become admirals; and |
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WHEREAS, Voters approved a state constitutional amendment in |
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1984 that recognized Prairie View A&M as a university of the first |
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class and restructured the state's Permanent University Fund to |
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include Prairie View as a beneficiary; in addition, the legislature |
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established the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and |
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Culture at Prairie View in 1999; the school launched its first |
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doctoral program, in juvenile justice, in 2001 and has since added |
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others in electrical engineering, juvenile forensic psychology, |
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and education leadership; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the leadership of president Dr. George C. |
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Wright, the university currently has an enrollment of over 8,000 |
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students, including more than 1,500 graduate students; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 2, 2015, as Prairie View A&M |
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University Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those |
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associated with the university sincere best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |