85R11481 BK-D
By: VanDeaver H.R. No. 492
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, February 23, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of
the signing of the Smith-Hughes Act, the first major federal
legislation to support the teaching of agriculture and other
vocational subjects in high school; and
WHEREAS, During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the
need for vocational and technical education to augment academic
study was increasingly recognized by teachers, agriculturists,
home economists, and industry leaders; in 1914, the United States
Congress established the Commission on National Aid to Vocational
Education, which concluded that federal funding was necessary to
ensure the success of such programs; and
WHEREAS, Based on the recommendations of the commission,
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia introduced Senate Bill 703 on
December 7, 1915, and on February 10, 1916, Representative Dudley
Hughes laid out a companion bill, House Bill 11250; Senator Smith's
bill enjoyed support from both chambers of Congress as well as from
President Woodrow Wilson, who urged Congress to take action on it;
and
WHEREAS, A diverse range of interest groups, including
industrialists, labor unions, and agricultural scientists, were
united in their endorsement of the legislation; support for the
measure was further intensified by the perception that Germany,
then engaged in the Great War, had outstripped America in
developing an advanced workforce to sustain its agricultural and
industrial might; and
WHEREAS, On February 17, 1917, Senate Bill 703--now known as
the Smith-Hughes Act--was approved by Congress in a bipartisan
vote, and on February 23, President Wilson signed the bill into law;
Texas state senator Claude Hudspeth of El Paso subsequently
introduced a bill to accept the benefits of the federal act, which
was approved by the 35th Texas Legislature on May 8, 1917; and
WHEREAS, Today, 15 million young Americans, including some
1.2 million Texans, are enrolled in occupational courses in 16
cutting-edge career areas; their experiences in those programs are
empowering them to succeed in postsecondary education and in the
free-market economy, both as employees and as entrepreneurs; in
addition, the advent of vocational education has led to the
establishment of a range of youth leadership development
organizations, including FFA, SkillsUSA, HOSA, and the Future
Business Leaders of America, which are preparing their members to
become engaged citizens and effective leaders in the work of
self-government, the foundation of this constitutional republic;
and
WHEREAS, In the century since the passage of the landmark
Smith-Hughes Act, vocational education has opened the doors of
opportunity for countless youth and contributed significantly to
the strength and prosperity of this nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing
of the Smith-Hughes Act and encourage Texans to learn more about the
fine work being done by outstanding career and technical teachers
in communities across the state.