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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, February 23, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of |
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the signing of the Smith-Hughes Act, the first major federal |
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legislation to support the teaching of agriculture and other |
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vocational subjects in high school; and |
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WHEREAS, During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the |
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need for vocational and technical education to augment academic |
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study was increasingly recognized by teachers, agriculturists, |
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home economists, and industry leaders; in 1914, the United States |
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Congress established the Commission on National Aid to Vocational |
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Education, which concluded that federal funding was necessary to |
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ensure the success of such programs; and |
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WHEREAS, Based on the recommendations of the commission, |
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Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia introduced Senate Bill 703 on |
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December 7, 1915, and on February 10, 1916, Representative Dudley |
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Hughes laid out a companion bill, House Bill 11250; Senator Smith's |
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bill enjoyed support from both chambers of Congress as well as from |
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President Woodrow Wilson, who urged Congress to take action on it; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A diverse range of interest groups, including |
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industrialists, labor unions, and agricultural scientists, were |
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united in their endorsement of the legislation; support for the |
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measure was further intensified by the perception that Germany, |
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then engaged in the Great War, had outstripped America in |
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developing an advanced workforce to sustain its agricultural and |
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industrial might; and |
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WHEREAS, On February 17, 1917, Senate Bill 703--now known as |
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the Smith-Hughes Act--was approved by Congress in a bipartisan |
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vote, and on February 23, President Wilson signed the bill into law; |
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Texas state senator Claude Hudspeth of El Paso subsequently |
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introduced a bill to accept the benefits of the federal act, which |
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was approved by the 35th Texas Legislature on May 8, 1917; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, 15 million young Americans, including some |
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1.2 million Texans, are enrolled in occupational courses in 16 |
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cutting-edge career areas; their experiences in those programs are |
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empowering them to succeed in postsecondary education and in the |
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free-market economy, both as employees and as entrepreneurs; in |
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addition, the advent of vocational education has led to the |
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establishment of a range of youth leadership development |
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organizations, including FFA, SkillsUSA, HOSA, and the Future |
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Business Leaders of America, which are preparing their members to |
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become engaged citizens and effective leaders in the work of |
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self-government, the foundation of this constitutional republic; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In the century since the passage of the landmark |
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Smith-Hughes Act, vocational education has opened the doors of |
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opportunity for countless youth and contributed significantly to |
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the strength and prosperity of this nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing |
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of the Smith-Hughes Act and encourage Texans to learn more about the |
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fine work being done by outstanding career and technical teachers |
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in communities across the state. |