83R14962 BPG-D
By: Marquez H.R. No. 1258
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The University of Texas at El Paso is celebrating
the centennial of its creation in 2013; and
WHEREAS, On April 16, 1913, Texas governor O. B. Colquitt
signed S.B. 183, 33rd Legislature, Regular Session, which
established the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy; the
institution was guided by the regents of The University of Texas,
and today, it ranks as the second-oldest academic institution in
the UT System; and
WHEREAS, The school was renamed the College of Mines and
Metallurgy in 1920 and became Texas Western College nearly 30 years
later; since 1967, it has been known by its present name; and
WHEREAS, During the civil rights era, UTEP played a crucial
role in breaking down barriers; it became the first state college to
integrate undergraduate classes in 1955, and it later was the first
school in the UT System to hire an African American administrator;
in 1966, the basketball team fielded the first all-African American
starting lineup in NCAA championship history and upset the highly
favored University of Kentucky for the national title; its bold
stand led other teams to begin recruiting African American
athletes, marking a turning point in college athletics; and
WHEREAS, The institution has continued its tradition of
diversity, and it now ranks third among all U.S. universities in
awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanics and among the top 10 in
preparing Hispanic students for success in completing doctoral
degrees; and
WHEREAS, Long a leader in higher education, UTEP was
recognized in 1996 by the National Science Foundation as one of six
model institutions for excellence in the nation, and four years
later, it was acknowledged by the Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral
and research-intensive institution; the Texas Legislature
designated it as one of seven emerging Tier One institutions, and in
2012, the United States Department of Education rated it as the
national research institution with the lowest net cost; moreover,
Washington Monthly ranked the school 12th among all national
research universities and first in fostering social mobility in the
lives of its graduates; and
WHEREAS, Benefiting from the skilled guidance of president
Diana Natalicio, UTEP has a current enrollment of nearly 23,000
students and offers degrees in 70 bachelor's programs, 75 master's
programs, and 19 doctoral programs; and
WHEREAS, For the past century, The University of Texas at El
Paso has contributed immeasurably to the economic and cultural
vitality of the Paso del Norte region, and it has proven a powerful
force for social progress in the Lone Star State and beyond; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of the creation of
The University of Texas at El Paso and extend to all those
associated with the institution sincere best wishes for continued
success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.