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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Arlington is marking its |
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120th anniversary in 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, Founded in 1895 as Arlington College, the school |
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initially provided instruction to approximately 75 students from |
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the elementary grades through a level roughly equivalent to high |
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school; it was converted into Carlisle Military Academy in 1902 and |
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was subsequently known as Arlington Training School and then |
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Arlington Military Academy; and |
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WHEREAS, The institution transitioned into Grubbs Vocational |
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College, a branch of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of |
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Texas, in 1917; it maintained that affiliation with what is now |
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Texas A&M University after changing its name to North Texas |
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Agricultural College; by 1949, it was considered the largest |
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state-supported junior college in the Southwest, and it was renamed |
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Arlington State College; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1959, Arlington State became a comprehensive |
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four-year institution, and six years later, it joined The |
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University of Texas System; the state legislature conferred its |
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present-day name in 1967; and |
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WHEREAS, The university today is the second-largest in the UT |
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System, with nearly 49,000 students, and it is ranked by the |
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Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the nation's |
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fastest-growing public research universities; its faculty is |
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especially noted for specialized expertise in national defense, |
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information technologies, energy, bioengineering, and |
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biotechnologies; in addition, it awards nearly 10,000 degrees each |
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year in critical workforce fields such as engineering and science, |
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education, social work, and nursing; its nursing college is the |
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state's top producer of baccalaureates in the field and is one of |
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the largest such programs in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Committed to broadening access to higher education, |
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UTA is ranked fifth among national universities for undergraduate |
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diversity by U.S. News & World Report; its enrollment is about 27 |
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percent Hispanic and 15 percent African American, and students hail |
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from over 100 countries; UTA graduates contribute significantly to |
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the vibrancy of the region, with more than 60 percent settling in |
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North Texas, and alumni hold leadership positions in all 18 of the |
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area's Fortune 500 companies; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of 120 years, The University of |
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Texas at Arlington has provided its students with a strong |
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foundation for achievement, and in so doing, it has played a |
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significant role in fostering economic development and enhancing |
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the quality of life in the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 120th anniversary of The |
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University of Texas at Arlington and extend to the institution's |
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administration, faculty, staff, and students sincere best wishes |
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for continued 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. |