SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 213

WHEREAS, Alumni of Texas A&M University--Kingsville are gathering at the State Capitol in Austin on February 26, 2015, to celebrate Javelina Day, named in honor of the university's beloved mascot; and

WHEREAS, Established as a teacher's college in 1925, Texas A&M University--Kingsville is the oldest continuously operating public institution of higher education in South Texas; through the years, the school has greatly expanded its educational scope to include 7 colleges offering 56 baccalaureate degrees as well as 61 master's and 6 doctoral degree programs; it joined The Texas A&M University System in 1989, and in 2006, the Texas A&M Health Science Center also opened its Rangel College of Pharmacy on the 250-acre main Kingsville campus; and

WHEREAS, Today, the university enrolls more than 8,700 students from throughout the country and around the world, reflecting its commitment to serving individuals of diverse cultural, religious, educational, and economic backgrounds; with a student population that is 57 percent Hispanic and nearly 19 percent international, Texas A&M--Kingsville ranks among the top schools in the nation for awarding degrees to Latinas and Latinos, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and

WHEREAS, The institution has received well-deserved recognition for a host of academic programs, including its bilingual postgraduate courses and the 545-acre teaching farm it operates for agriculture students; its outstanding environmental

engineering curriculum has been rated one of the 50 best in the country by U.S. News and World Report, and yearly since 2005, the Kingsville campus has been placed among the top 100 universities in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine; and

WHEREAS, Javelina men's and women's sports teams further reflect the ferocity and tenacity for which the student mascot is known; the football team has been especially successful in the athletic arena, capturing 7 national championships and 34 Lone Star Conference titles since 1931; and

WHEREAS, For nine decades, Texas A&M University--Kingsville has enriched the lives of its students, contributed to the advancement of human knowledge, and proved a powerful force for social progress and economic development in the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th Legislature, hereby recognize February 26, 2015, as Javelina Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Texas A&M University--Kingsville as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Lucio

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 23, 2015.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate