Bill Text: TX HR620 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating Rice University's Wiess School of Natural Sciences on its 50th anniversary.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2025-03-31 - Reported enrolled [HR620 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HR620-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 620 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Rice University's Wiess School of Natural Sciences | ||
| is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Established in 1975, the school was named in tribute | ||
| to Harry Carothers Wiess and Olga Keith Wiess, major supporters of | ||
| the university; Mr. Wiess, one of the founders of ExxonMobil, | ||
| became a trustee in 1944 and served as vice chair of the board of | ||
| governors from 1946 until his death two years later; Mrs. Wiess | ||
| assisted him in the creation of the university's science and | ||
| engineering fund and the Keith-Wiess Geological Laboratories; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Rice University president Norman Hackerman guided | ||
| the formation of the Wiess School from departments previously | ||
| grouped with engineering, including biology, biochemistry, | ||
| chemistry, geology, mathematical sciences, mathematics, physics, | ||
| and space physics and astronomy; today, the school offers 19 majors | ||
| and 7 minors; students participate in cutting-edge research across | ||
| core and interdisciplinary fields, among them environmental | ||
| science, and collaborate frequently with Texas Medical Center; the | ||
| school also offers a professional science master's degree program | ||
| that prepares scholars for prominent roles in bioscience, health | ||
| policy, environmental analysis, energy, and other sectors; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Wiess School takes great pride in the myriad | ||
| accolades received by its faculty and staff from such eminent | ||
| organizations as the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. | ||
| National Science Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial | ||
| Foundation; professors Robert Curl and Richard Smalley established | ||
| Rice's reputation as a leader in nanoscience and materials research | ||
| by winning the 1985 Nobel Prize for their work on carbon-60; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Wiess School has benefited | ||
| by the vision and dynamism of a number of able and energetic | ||
| leaders; dean William Gordon was the first, and since 2021, the | ||
| school has moved from strength to strength under dean Thomas | ||
| Killian; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the course of a half century, the Wiess School | ||
| has played a significant role in fostering scientific advancement | ||
| while opening pathways of opportunity for the next generation of | ||
| innovators; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby congratulate Rice University's Wiess School of | ||
| Natural Sciences on its 50th anniversary and extend to all those | ||
| associated with the school sincere best wishes for continued | ||
| success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for the school as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
| House of Representatives. | ||
| Johnson | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 620 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 31, 2025, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
