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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The George R. Brown School of Engineering and |
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Computing at Rice University in Houston is celebrating its 50th |
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anniversary in 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, An integral component of the university's rich |
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legacy, engineering has been a central focus since it was founded as |
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the Rice Institute in 1912; its first engineering degrees were |
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conferred in 1916, and over the years, the course of study grew to |
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include a variety of different programs, degrees, and research |
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opportunities; by the late 1960s, the school had been the site of a |
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number of significant engineering advancements, including the |
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installation of a nuclear reactor and the development of the first |
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artificial heart; and |
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WHEREAS, George R. Brown was elected to the Rice Board of |
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Trustees in 1943, and in 1950, he became the first alumnus to be |
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named its chair; during his tenure, he oversaw the construction of |
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Fondren Library, Anderson Hall, and the Abercrombie Engineering |
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Laboratory, as well as the opening of a 70,000-seat football |
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stadium; in 1968, his foundation pledged some $4 million to the |
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school of engineering, and he traveled around the country to |
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solicit further donations to a $33 million capital campaign from |
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alumni of the newly redesignated William Marsh Rice University; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1975, the school's science-engineering division |
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was divided into the George R. Brown School of Engineering and the |
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School of Natural Sciences; guided by inaugural Rice president |
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Edgar O. Lovett's "no upper limit" maxim, the engineering school |
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has since been named among the top programs in the country; it has |
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merited this distinction by focusing on interdisciplinary |
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solutions that integrate sciences, humanities, architecture, and |
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business; the school encompasses nine academic departments, and its |
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research efforts are further enriched by 22 engineering-related |
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institutes and centers; ably guided since 2021 by its dean, Luay |
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Nakhleh, nearly one-third of Rice undergraduate and graduate |
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students belong to the engineering and computing school; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of a half century, the |
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George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing has provided a |
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number of students with a strong foundation on which to build |
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rewarding professional careers, and it is indeed worthy of special |
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recognition at this significant milestone in its history; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the |
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George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice |
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University and extend to all those affiliated with the school |
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sincere best wishes 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 George R. Brown School of Engineering and |
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Computing as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of |
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Representatives. |
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Johnson |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 778 was adopted by the House on April |
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17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 127, Nays 13, 2 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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