81R2774 JH-D
By: Heflin H.R. No. 55
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Wayland Baptist University in Plainview is marking
the 100th anniversary of its founding during the 2008-2009 school
year, and this occasion provides a fitting opportunity to pay
tribute to this respected place of learning; and
WHEREAS, The university takes its name from Dr. James H.
Wayland, a Plainview physician who, at the turn of the 20th century,
realized the need for a Christian-based institution of higher
education in the Texas Panhandle region; Dr. Wayland and his wife,
Sarah, donated $10,000 and 25 acres of land to help make this vision
a reality, and they received vital support from the churches of the
Staked Plains Baptist Association; through these combined efforts,
the college was chartered in 1908 as the Wayland Literary and
Technical Institute; the first classes convened in 1910, and that
same year, the institution changed its name to Wayland Baptist
College; and
WHEREAS, Building on a strong foundation of religious faith,
Wayland has prepared generations of students for professional
success, lifelong learning, and meaningful service to others; the
college has stayed true to this mission while adapting to an
ever-changing world, and its notable legacy of innovation and
progressive action has been evident through the decades; and
WHEREAS, Wayland Baptist University was a pioneer in regard
to racial integration and has also played a leading role in
educating young people from other countries; moreover, the famed
Flying Queens women's basketball team helped open new doors for
female athletes, and its enduring success has been a proud part of
the school's rich sports heritage; and
WHEREAS, Well known for its ability to prepare individuals
for a life of servant leadership, Wayland has furthered that goal by
urging its students to take an active role in community service;
outreach efforts have included music performances and ministerial
work in Texas and beyond as well as disaster recovery projects and
summer missionary trips to Russia, Kenya, Germany, and other
international locations; and
WHEREAS, Wayland has also taken its services to the wider
world by opening a number of external campuses; today, there are 13
such facilities in operation, serving cities in Texas, Oklahoma,
Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Kenya; in addition, the
university operates a "virtual campus" through its online courses
that have an enrollment of some 2,500 students; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of an eventful century, Wayland
Baptist University has provided its students with an education that
is abounding in academic challenges and spiritual enrichment, and
the institution's positive influence will continue to be felt in
the years ahead; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
founding of Wayland Baptist University and extend best wishes to
its students, alumni, educators, and staff as they observe the
school's centennial year.