SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 737

WHEREAS, Freese and Nichols is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2019, providing a fitting opportunity to pay tribute to this venerable Fort Worth-based engineering and architecture firm; and

WHEREAS, The company was first established in 1894 by John B. Hawley; Simon Freese joined the firm as a partner in 1927 and Marvin C. Nichols in 1928, and the company became Freese and Nichols, Inc., in 1976; through the years, it has taken part in the design and construction management of such crucial Texas infrastructure projects as the channel of the San Antonio River that is now the River Walk, the first air-conditioned buildings in North Texas, the Pantex Ordnance Plant in Amarillo, the expansion of Arlington Stadium, and the Skylink people mover system at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; and

WHEREAS, Today, under the leadership of president and CEO Brian Coltharp, Freese and Nichols continues to work closely with regional and local governments, educational institutions, the military, energy providers, transportation agencies, and water districts in Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Louisiana; and

WHEREAS, The company is a positive force in the community as well; its leaders have served on the boards of many worthy organizations, including the United Way, the North Texas Commission, and the Boy and Girl Scouts, and over the past four years alone, individual employees have performed more than 25,000 hours of volunteer service; and

WHEREAS, Freese and Nichols has been honored with the Texas Treasure Business Award from the Texas Historical Commission, and it is the first engineering and architecture firm ever to receive the prestigious Baldrige Award for Performance Excellence from the United States Department of Commerce; it has also earned recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Construction Management Association of America, the American Public Works Association, the American Planning Association, and many other organizations; and

WHEREAS, For 125 years, Freese and Nichols has played a significant role in the development and prosperity of the Lone Star State, and its managers and employees may indeed take great pride in the company's longevity and its outstanding record of achievement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th Legislature, hereby commemorate the 125th anniversary of Freese and Nichols and extend to all those associated with the firm sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Freese and Nichols as an expression of high regard by the Texas Senate. Powell

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 22, 2019.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate