By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Huffines) H.C.R. No. 78
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2015;
May 7, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Over the course of nearly 200 years, people all
around the world have come to know the State of Texas as "the Lone
Star State," and it is time that this universally recognized
nickname receive official recognition; and
WHEREAS, The exact origins of this colorful phrase, and the
use of a single, white, five-pointed star to represent Texas, are
unclear; some accounts trace it to a flag carried by the James Long
Expedition in 1819, an early attempt to free Texas from the Spanish
empire, while a recent discovery of coins that were minted in what
is now San Antonio, showing a five-pointed star on one side and the
year 1817 on the other, suggest that the star was already in use as a
symbol for the region; and
WHEREAS, The first official use of the Lone Star came in 1836,
when the Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted a flag with a
five-pointed gold star on a background of deep azure, known as the
David G. Burnet Flag; three years later, the Texas Congress adopted
what is commonly known as the Lone Star Flag, showing a bright white
star against deep blue on the left of the flag and two horizontal
stripes of white and red on the flag's right; this was made the
official flag of the State of Texas in 1933; and
WHEREAS, Today, the distinctive five-pointed star and the
phrase "the Lone Star State" are instantly recognizable the world
over as the primary symbol and nickname for Texas; the term "Lone
Star" has been adopted by countless enterprises, from a brand of
beer to car dealerships, restaurants, hotels, and barbecue
establishments, along with nearly every other sort of business;
over the years, at least 10 communities in Texas have been named
Lone Star, including towns in Morris, Floyd, Bastrop, Delta, Polk,
and other counties; and
WHEREAS, Whatever its origins, and whatever its uses, from
the serious to the playful, the phrase "the Lone Star State" has
achieved universal currency as a sharp and memorable way to evoke
the unique legacy of Texas and the indomitable spirit of its people;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate "the Lone Star State" as the official nickname of
Texas.
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