Bill Text: TX HR347 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 175th anniversary of Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-02-25 - Reported enrolled [HR347 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HR347-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 347 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Southwestern University in Georgetown is | ||
| celebrating the 175th anniversary of its charter on February 5, | ||
| 2015, and it is indeed fitting to recognize this significant | ||
| milestone in the history of the state's oldest chartered | ||
| institution of higher education; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1835, Colonel William B. Travis penned a letter | ||
| to the New York Christian Advocate calling for the establishment of | ||
| a Methodist presence in the new Republic of Texas, and five years | ||
| later, the first of Southwestern's four root colleges was | ||
| established through the visionary leadership of Methodist | ||
| missionary Martin Ruter; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The university built a reputation for scholarly | ||
| excellence, and as it earned wider recognition, its enrollment | ||
| grew, reaching 1,000 by 1978; eventually, the school eliminated | ||
| graduate programs in order to focus on undergraduates in the | ||
| liberal arts and sciences; in 1988, US News & World Report named | ||
| Southwestern the top regional liberal arts college in the nation, | ||
| and today, both that publication and USA Today College rank it among | ||
| the nation's top liberal arts colleges; and | ||
| WHEREAS, While maintaining a tradition of academic rigor, | ||
| with small classes and collaborative research opportunities, the | ||
| institution also fosters civic engagement and the exploration of | ||
| multiple perspectives to prepare graduates for the challenges of a | ||
| rapidly changing world; Southwestern students volunteer at twice | ||
| the national average rate, and half of all students study abroad; | ||
| most undergraduates also pursue leadership, service, and activism | ||
| roles in over 90 student organizations; demonstrating the | ||
| effectiveness of such a broad-based liberal arts education, more | ||
| than 90 percent of students find employment or gain acceptance into | ||
| graduate or professional programs within 10 months of graduation; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today, Southwestern University has a diverse | ||
| enrollment of over 1,500 students, and it remains true to its | ||
| mission, "fostering a liberal arts community whose values and | ||
| actions encourage contributions toward the well-being of | ||
| humanity"; over the course of 175 years, this noteworthy | ||
| institution has provided its students with an education that has | ||
| enriched them both academically and personally, and in so doing, it | ||
| has made important contributions to Texas and the world beyond; | ||
| now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby commemorate the 175th anniversary of the charter | ||
| of Southwestern University and extend to the institution's | ||
| administration, faculty, staff, and students sincere best wishes | ||
| for the future; 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. | ||
| Farney | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 347 was adopted by the House on | ||
| February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
