Bill Text: TX HR22 | 2023 | 88th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing October 12, 2023, as Rice Day.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-10-12 - Reported enrolled [HR22 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR22-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 22 |
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WHEREAS, October 12, 2023, marks the 111th anniversary of | ||
Rice University's formal opening ceremonies, an event that is | ||
commemorated annually as Rice Day; and | ||
WHEREAS, On October 12, 1912, students, faculty, and trustees | ||
of the Rice Institute gathered alongside local and state officials | ||
and dignitaries from governments and universities around the world | ||
to celebrate the establishment of a new institution of higher | ||
learning; in his address, President Edgar Odell Lovett announced | ||
that Rice would "aspire to university standing of the highest | ||
grade," while proposing "to assign no upper limit to its | ||
educational endeavor"; and | ||
WHEREAS, Since that historic day, Rice has grown tremendously | ||
in enrollment and academic stature; in recognition of the changing | ||
and broadening scope of its educational mission, its name was | ||
changed to William Marsh Rice University on July 1, 1960; today, it | ||
is a globally oriented, private institution that boasts an | ||
impressive 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and it | ||
consistently ranks highly among private universities for best | ||
quality of life and best value; it is further recognized as one of | ||
the most diverse private universities, with more than a quarter of | ||
students classified as minorities and more than 60 countries | ||
represented in its undergraduate and graduate student bodies; and | ||
WHEREAS, Rice holds membership in the Association of American | ||
Universities, an organization consisting of North America's 71 | ||
leading research universities; its faculty and alumni have made | ||
significant contributions in numerous fields, and alumni have | ||
notably gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize, and | ||
Olympic gold medals, to set records for human spaceflight, to win | ||
Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy Awards, and to serve in offices as prominent | ||
as lieutenant governor of Texas; they have helped found such Lone | ||
Star institutions as Austin City Limits and the Texas Film | ||
Commission and have made their mark in countless other areas of | ||
endeavor that have enriched our state and nation; and | ||
WHEREAS, The achievements of Rice University and its alumni | ||
have helped to keep Texas at the forefront of research, | ||
scholarship, and innovation, and the observance of Rice Day | ||
provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the long and | ||
distinguished history of one of our state's most venerated | ||
educational institutions; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby recognize October 12, | ||
2023, as Rice Day and extend sincere best wishes to the university's | ||
students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they celebrate the 111th | ||
anniversary of Rice's historic opening ceremonies; and, be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the | ||
Texas House of Representatives. | ||
A. Johnson of Harris | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 22 was adopted by the House on October | ||
12, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||