84R6892 EEY-D
By: Clardy H.R. No. 235
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the university's Student Government
Association, faculty, staff, and alumni have gathered in Austin to
celebrate Stephen F. Austin State University Day at the State
Capitol and to commemorate the 91st anniversary of this historic
institution of higher learning; and
WHEREAS, Stephen F. Austin State University was established
as a teachers college in September 1923, and although it has greatly
expanded its educational scope in the decades since, it continues
to graduate exceptionally well-prepared classroom teachers,
coaches, and administrators; it also is home to the Arthur Temple
College of Forestry and Agriculture, the Richard and Lucille DeWitt
School of Nursing, the Nelson Rusche College of Business, and the
James I. Perkins College of Education; and
WHEREAS, The university's enrollment has increased steadily
during the past 10 years, and the student population reflects the
general diversity of the Lone Star State; additionally, about half
of all recent graduates are from the first generation in their
families to attend college; and
WHEREAS, The university continues to serve the population of
East Texas while also drawing large numbers of students from both
the greater Houston metropolitan area and the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex; moreover, the campus is a center for cultural,
educational, and recreational activities for the residents of the
Nacogdoches area, with the 136-acre Stephen F. Austin State
University Gardens being one of the highlights enjoyed by visitors;
and
WHEREAS, For more than nine decades, members of the Stephen
F. Austin State University community have been making important
contributions to Texas and the world beyond, most recently with the
SFA Lumberjack basketball team capturing the hearts of basketball
fans all over the country with a spirited performance in the NCAA
Tournament, and it is most fitting that the university be honored on
this special day; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2015, as Stephen
F. Austin State University Day at the State Capitol and extend to
the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a memorable and
meaningful visit to Austin.