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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Southern Methodist University is celebrating 100 |
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| 6 | 7 | | years of operation in 2015, a milestone that marks a century of |
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| 7 | 8 | | growth, progress, and achievement; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, SMU traces its roots back to 1911, when the United |
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| 9 | 10 | | Methodist Episcopal Church, South, laid the foundation for a new |
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| 10 | 11 | | university in Dallas after residents pledged $300,000 to secure its |
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| 11 | 12 | | location there; the institution opened its doors on September 22, |
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| 12 | 13 | | 1915, welcoming an inaugural class of 456 students at its colleges |
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| 13 | 14 | | of liberal arts, music, and theology; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, A private, nonsectarian university, SMU today has an |
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| 15 | 16 | | endowment of $1.4 billion and an enrollment of more than 11,000 |
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| 16 | 17 | | students from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries, reflecting a |
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| 17 | 18 | | wide diversity of geographic, economic, and religious backgrounds; |
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| 18 | 19 | | students benefit from small class sizes and a wealth of research and |
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| 19 | 20 | | learning resources, including nine libraries that together contain |
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| 20 | 21 | | the largest private collection of research materials in the |
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| 21 | 22 | | Southwest; under the leadership of President R. Gerald Turner, the |
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| 22 | 23 | | university also boasts a world-class faculty and enjoys a |
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| 23 | 24 | | reputation as a leader in research across a broad range of |
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| 24 | 25 | | disciplines; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and |
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| 26 | 27 | | professional levels are offered through seven schools, including |
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| 27 | 28 | | the Cox School of Business, one of the top-ranked business schools |
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| 28 | 29 | | nationally and globally, as well as highly rated colleges of law, |
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| 29 | 30 | | engineering, and the arts; named among the best national |
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| 30 | 31 | | universities by U.S. News & World Report, SMU has also been |
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| 31 | 32 | | recognized for the impressive number of its graduates who go on to |
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| 32 | 33 | | start businesses and for its record of success in preparing alumni |
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| 33 | 34 | | for senior executive positions in the corporate world; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, The picturesque main campus of SMU, located five |
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| 35 | 36 | | miles north of downtown Dallas, consists of 101 buildings on 234 |
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| 36 | 37 | | acres, and the university additionally operates satellite campuses |
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| 37 | 38 | | in Plano and in Taos, New Mexico; the Dallas community benefits |
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| 38 | 39 | | greatly from the educational and cultural opportunities provided by |
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| 39 | 40 | | the university, which welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually |
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| 40 | 41 | | for special events; among the attractions unique to the campus are |
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| 41 | 42 | | the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a complex that houses the |
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| 42 | 43 | | Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush |
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| 43 | 44 | | Institute, and the Meadows Museum, which features an expansive |
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| 44 | 45 | | collection of Spanish art; and |
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| 45 | 46 | | WHEREAS, Looking to the future, the university launched the |
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| 46 | 47 | | Second Century Campaign in 2008 to fulfill a comprehensive set of |
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| 47 | 48 | | objectives that will further enhance SMU's status as a premier |
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| 48 | 49 | | learning environment; since that time, the initiative has resulted |
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| 49 | 50 | | in new classroom, athletic, and student life facilities, as well as |
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| 50 | 51 | | student scholarships, academic programs, and faculty positions; |
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| 51 | 52 | | and |
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| 52 | 53 | | WHEREAS, Throughout its history, Southern Methodist |
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| 53 | 54 | | University has contributed to the prosperity and cultural vitality |
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| 54 | 55 | | of the Lone Star State and to the advancement of human knowledge |
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| 55 | 56 | | around the world, and the next century will no doubt continue the |
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| 56 | 57 | | proud tradition of excellence associated with this venerable |
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| 57 | 58 | | institution; now, therefore, be it |
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| 58 | 59 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 59 | 60 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Southern |
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| 60 | 61 | | Methodist University and extend to the school's administration, |
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| 61 | 62 | | faculty, staff, and students sincere best wishes for the future; |
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| 62 | 63 | | and, be it further |
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| 63 | 64 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 64 | 65 | | prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 65 | 66 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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