88R10624 BHH-D
By: Clardy H.R. No. 143
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Stephen F. Austin State University is marking the
100th anniversary of its founding in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Chartered in 1917 as Stephen F. Austin State
Teachers College, the school was named in honor of the "Father of
Texas," and the site selected for the campus was the homestead of
Thomas J. Rusk and property previously owned by Sam Houston, both
of whom were the first United States Senators from Texas; the State
Board of Regents selected Nacogdoches as the location of the new
school due in part to its significance as the oldest town in Texas;
the college opened in 1923, with 270 students meeting in an old
one-room schoolhouse until the Austin Building at the new campus
was completed the following year; and
WHEREAS, Over the past century, SFA has become a vital part of
the economy and culture of East Texas, and it has been named the top
rural-serving institution of its size in the state by the Alliance
for Research on Regional Colleges; and
WHEREAS, Today, Stephen F. Austin State University serves
more than 11,300 students and offers over 120 majors and areas of
study across its six colleges; the institution boasts 18 Division I
intercollegiate sports teams for men and women, which further
enhance the student experience, provide opportunities for
student-athletes from across the state, and bring pride to the
region; in addition, the university has become an arts and
entertainment destination, hosting a variety of theatrical,
musical, and speaking events on campus; and
WHEREAS, Since its founding 100 years ago, Stephen F. Austin
State University has provided generations of Texans with a strong
foundation for achievement and contributed greatly to the
prosperity and vitality of East Texas, and the university's
students, faculty, staff, and alumni may indeed take great pride in
their rich history while looking forward to an even brighter
future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of Stephen F. Austin
State University and extend to all those associated with the school
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Stephen F. Austin State University as an expression of
high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.