81R6526 JGH-D
By: Harper-Brown H.R. No. 401
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Distinguished citizens of Irving are gathering on
February 17, 2009, to celebrate Irving Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Originally a settlement known as Gorbit and then as
Kit, the city was renamed in 1902, possibly for the author
Washington Irving; it soon became a center for cotton farming,
dairy farming, and poultry production in North Texas; and
WHEREAS, Irving began its period of rapid growth in the
mid-20th century; the Plymouth Park Shopping Center opened in 1955,
the University of Dallas in 1956, and Irving Community Hospital in
1964; the creation of the Las Colinas and Valley Ranch
master-planned business and residential communities contributed
further to the city's growth, and from 1971 to 2008, the city was
the home of "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys; and
WHEREAS, Today, with a population of nearly 210,000, Irving
boasts more than 10,000 companies, including the headquarters of
ExxonMobil, Kimberly-Clark, the Commercial Metals Company, and the
Fluor Corporation; over 45 companies in the Fortune 500 have a
presence in the city, including Amazon.com, Northrop Grumman,
Verizon, Microsoft, and many others; and
WHEREAS, Irving's educational and cultural resources make it
a fine place to live and work; the University of Dallas and North
Lake College offer ample opportunities for higher education, and
the city is home to the Irving Arts Center, as well as to three
symphony orchestras and two award-winning theater companies; and
WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike may delight in the
gondolas at Mandalay Canal and the stunning sculpture known as the
Mustangs of Las Colinas, with its associated museum; Irving is also
home to the headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America, and the BSA's
National Scouting Museum tells the history of scouting and
possesses the world's largest collection of original Norman
Rockwell scouting artwork; the HP Byron Nelson Golf Championship is
an annual PGA Tour event; and
WHEREAS, Benefiting greatly from the farsighted leadership
of Mayor Herbert A. Gears and the members of the city council,
Thomas D. Spink, Beth Van Duyne, Allan E. Meagher, Lewis Patrick,
Rose Cannaday, Rick Stopfer, Sam Smith, and Joe Philipp, Irving is a
forward-looking and vibrant city, and its creative and hardworking
citizens are to be commended for their contributions to the
prosperity of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 17, 2009, as Irving Day at
the State Capitol and extend to its mayor, city council members,
corporate executives, chamber representatives, and other citizens
present today a warm welcome to Austin.