| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2233 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, In 1966, the men's basketball team from Texas |
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| 6 | 6 | | Western College claimed the NCAA championship with a 72-65 victory |
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| 7 | 7 | | over the highly rated squad from the University of Kentucky in the |
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| 8 | 8 | | national title game; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, In addition to its athletic significance, the |
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| 10 | 10 | | contest also had a deep and lasting social impact; in that game, |
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| 11 | 11 | | Texas Western started five African American players, marking the |
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| 12 | 12 | | first time that an all-black lineup had played for the college |
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| 13 | 13 | | title; adding to the drama was the fact that Kentucky had an |
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| 14 | 14 | | all-white roster and its coach, Adolph Rupp, was opposed to the |
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| 15 | 15 | | racial integration of his team; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The Miners' triumph proved to be a turning point |
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| 17 | 17 | | that helped do away with racial barriers in the college game, |
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| 18 | 18 | | opening new doors to minority athletes; moreover, it was a source of |
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| 19 | 19 | | great pride to the residents of Texas, showing that colleges in the |
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| 20 | 20 | | Lone Star State had earned a place alongside the best in the game; |
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| 21 | 21 | | and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, In recent years, the Texas Western championship |
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| 23 | 23 | | received renewed attention when the team's coach, Don Haskins, |
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| 24 | 24 | | published Glory Road, his account of the 1966 season, and the book |
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| 25 | 25 | | was adapted into a feature film; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Players who made up that unforgettable team included |
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| 27 | 27 | | Bobby Joe Hill, David Lattin, Orsten Artis, Willie Worsley, Willie |
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| 28 | 28 | | Cager, Nevil Shed, and Harry Flournoy; these skilled athletes were |
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| 29 | 29 | | guided by Coach Haskins, who went on to establish a long and |
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| 30 | 30 | | successful career at the college, which became The University of |
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| 31 | 31 | | Texas at El Paso in 1967; this legendary leader was inducted into |
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| 32 | 32 | | the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997, and he passed |
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| 33 | 33 | | away in 2008; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, By proving itself the finest college team in the |
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| 35 | 35 | | nation in 1966, the Texas Western Miners heralded a new era in |
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| 36 | 36 | | collegiate basketball, and their win stands as one of the great |
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| 37 | 37 | | moments in Texas sports history; now, therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 39 | 39 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the 1966 national champion Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Western College men's basketball team and commend the players and |
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| 41 | 41 | | coaches for their notable accomplishment. |
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| 42 | 42 | | Marquez |
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| 43 | 43 | | ______________________________ |
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| 44 | 44 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 45 | 45 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2233 was adopted by the House on May |
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| 46 | 46 | | 25, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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