| 2 | 3 | | |
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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, Howard College celebrated its 75th anniversary with |
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| 6 | 7 | | a gala event at its main campus in Big Spring on September 30, 2021; |
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| 7 | 8 | | and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Howard County Junior College District was |
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| 9 | 10 | | established in November 1945, and the following year, 148 students |
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| 10 | 11 | | enrolled, meeting for their first classes on September 30 in the |
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| 11 | 12 | | hospital unit of the former Big Spring Army Air Force Bombardier |
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| 12 | 13 | | School; the institution was admitted to the Association of Texas |
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| 13 | 14 | | Colleges in 1947 and later earned full accreditation from the |
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| 14 | 15 | | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; in 1951, trustees |
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| 15 | 16 | | passed a resolution to admit students regardless of race, creed, or |
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| 16 | 17 | | color, and that same year, the college moved to its current campus; |
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| 17 | 18 | | and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Renamed Howard College in 1974, the school continued |
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| 19 | 20 | | to grow and thrive, and over the years, a number of new buildings |
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| 20 | 21 | | and programs were added, including the SouthWest College for the |
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| 21 | 22 | | Deaf, the country's first such institution of its kind; today, |
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| 22 | 23 | | under the leadership of President Dr. Cheryl T. Sparks, Howard also |
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| 23 | 24 | | offers courses at its San Angelo and Lamesa campuses, as well as at |
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| 24 | 25 | | the Big Spring Federal Correctional Institution and the Eden |
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| 25 | 26 | | Detention Center; proudly serving a diverse student body, the |
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| 26 | 27 | | college is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and it has |
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| 27 | 28 | | been ranked among the top Military Friendly Schools in the nation; |
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| 28 | 29 | | and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, In commemoration of the college's 75th anniversary, |
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| 30 | 31 | | the Howard community has held various events since November 2020, |
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| 31 | 32 | | including several ribbon cuttings and ground breakings on the Big |
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| 32 | 33 | | Spring Campus; in January 2021, the Big Spring Chamber of Commerce |
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| 33 | 34 | | hosted a grand opening for the school's newly renovated Cactus |
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| 34 | 35 | | Room, which now features state-of-the-art technology for lectures |
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| 35 | 36 | | and special events; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, For three quarters of a century, Howard College has |
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| 37 | 38 | | provided students with important opportunities in higher |
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| 38 | 39 | | education, and in so doing, it has enriched the lives of countless |
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| 39 | 40 | | Texans; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 75th |
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| 42 | 43 | | anniversary of Howard College and extend to all those affiliated |
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| 43 | 44 | | with the institution sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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| 44 | 45 | | and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for the college as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 47 | 48 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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