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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Faculty, students, staff, and alumni are |
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celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Sul Ross |
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State University in April 2017; and |
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WHEREAS, On April 4, 1917, Governor James E. Ferguson signed |
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a bill of the 35th Texas Legislature that established a teaching |
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college in the Big Bend region of West Texas; the new school was |
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named for Lawrence Sullivan Ross, who served as governor of Texas |
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from 1887 to 1891 and as president of what is now Texas A&M |
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University from 1891 to 1898; and |
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WHEREAS, Sul Ross Normal College began operations on June 14, |
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1920, in Alpine, where the residents provided the land, water, and |
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utilities for the college, as well as housing for its earliest |
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students; with the opening of the Museum of the Big Bend in the |
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1930s, the institution quickly became a cultural and educational |
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center for the region; in 1948, it served as the birthplace of the |
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National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Sul Ross attained university status in 1969, and in |
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1985, it joined with Southwest Texas Junior College to establish |
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upper-level and graduate study centers in Del Rio, Uvalde, and |
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Eagle Pass; another center was opened in Castroville in 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, SRSU is a well-respected regional |
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comprehensive university that boasts an average enrollment of 2,000 |
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students and offers 25 undergraduate and 22 graduate degree |
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programs; blessed with a learning environment that includes such |
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resources as Big Bend National Park, Fort Davis State Park, the Rio |
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Grande, and the Guadalupe Mountains, it is among the most |
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affordable public universities in Texas, and its gifted faculty |
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have made significant contributions in such disciplines as natural |
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resource management, history, theater, biology, and geology; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the school's 29,000 graduates to date are such |
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notable alumni as baseball great Norm Cash, of the Detroit Tigers; |
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the actor Dan Blocker, a star of the television classic Bonanza; |
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Olympic volleyball athlete Marilyn Nolen; and former Texas state |
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representative and U.S. congressman Pete Gallego; and |
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WHEREAS, For 100 years, this dynamic university has helped |
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thousands of Texans to achieve prosperous careers and fulfilling |
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lives by empowering them to take on the challenges and |
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opportunities that await them; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 4, 2017, as Sul Ross State |
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University Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those |
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associated with the school sincere best wishes for a memorable and |
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meaningful centennial celebration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Sul Ross State University as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Nevárez |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 814 was adopted by the House on March |
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23, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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