H.R. No. 256
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Public libraries contribute immeasurably to the
quality of life in their community, and in 2020 the Henderson County
Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library celebrated 100 years of
exemplary service; and
WHEREAS, The women of the Current Literature Club in
Henderson County resolved to create a public library for their
community in 1917, and on March 31, 1920, the library was opened on
the second floor of the courthouse in Athens; it was dedicated to
the memory of those who had lost their lives in World War I; and
WHEREAS, With the growth of the community, the Henderson
County Women's club petitioned the U.S. Congress in the 1930s to
have members of the National Youth Administration construct a new
facility, and from 1939 to 1940, seven young NYA workers built the
Henderson County Women's Building and Memorial Library, which was
dedicated on September 6, 1940; and
WHEREAS, In 1966, the community began to raise money to move
the library to the former Athens Post Office building; Clint W.
Murchison Jr. and John Dabney Murchison donated $35,000 in honor of
their father, Clint W. Murchison Sr., and the new library was
dedicated in his name on October 19, 1972; and
WHEREAS, The library has continued to grow and thrive; in
2015, it was accredited by the Texas State Library and Archives
Commission, and in 2020, the library celebrated its centennial by
installing a handsome new stained glass transom over the front door
and initiating a new capital campaign to raise funds for its
continued support; and
WHEREAS, For 100 years, the Henderson County Library has been
a source of enlightenment, entertainment, and inspiration for
countless residents, and it is a privilege to join in celebrating
its long history and bright future as a vital community resource;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library and extend to
all those associated with the library sincere best wishes for the
future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the library as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Bell of Kaufman
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 256 was adopted by the House on March
18, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House