82R3520 MMS-D
By: Naishtat H.R. No. 116
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Department of Government at The University of
Texas at Austin marked a notable milestone in 2010 with the
celebration of its centennial; and
WHEREAS, The department traces its origins to 1910, when the
UT School of Political Science was reorganized into the Schools of
Government, Economics, and Institutional History; since that time,
the Department of Government has made significant contributions to
the field of political science, to the mission of the university,
and to the development of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, the department has been home to a
number of eminent academicians; among those who helped to build the
department's early reputation for excellence were V. O. Key, Jr.,
Roscoe Martin, and Emmette Redford; in addition to producing their
own scholarship, the department faculty created, in about 1920, the
Southwestern Political Science Association (SWPSA) and its
journal, the Southwestern Political Science Quarterly, the first
social science journal to be published in the United States by a
regional organization; today known as the Social Science Quarterly,
the publication enjoys international stature; at the same time that
faculty members established the SWPSA, they founded a political
science honorary society, Pi Sigma Alpha, which now has more than
700 chapters across the country; and
WHEREAS, Together with promoting the study of political
science, the department has sought to meet its responsibilities in
the practical realm, in particular by helping state government to
function more efficiently and by fostering better understanding of
significant public issues; in its first half-century, the
department helped to establish both the Legislative Reference
Library and the Texas Legislative Council; more recently, it has
created the Irma Rangel Public Policy Institute, a research unit
that focuses especially on issues that are relevant to the state's
Latino population; the department also supports a remarkable
undertaking called the Texas Politics Project; through a speaker
series and extensive online resources, the project is designed to
supplement college-level instruction about the workings of Texas
government, as well as to help all Texans become more informed and
effective participants in the political process; additionally, the
department has instituted an internship program that enables
students to gain meaningful experience in government and in the
crafting of public policy; and
WHEREAS, An integral component of one of the state's flagship
universities, the department has helped to train countless Texans
who have emerged as leaders in areas ranging from law and politics
to education, business, and civic affairs; more broadly still, the
department has educated generations of Texas citizens about the
fundamentals of government and good citizenship; and
WHEREAS, In a society founded on representative democracy and
the rule of law, the UT Department of Government plays a crucial
role in transmitting the values and knowledge that keep that system
robust and vital, and the conclusion of its first illustrious
century provides a fitting opportunity to recognize it; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of The University of
Texas at Austin Department of Government and express sincere
appreciation for its outstanding public service; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for The University of Texas at Austin Department of
Government as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of
Representatives.