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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, For nearly 150 years, Prairie View A&M University |
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| 8 | 9 | | has served as a beacon of opportunity for its diverse student body, |
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| 9 | 10 | | and its graduates have gone on to contribute to the social, |
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| 10 | 11 | | economic, and cultural fabric of society; and |
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| 11 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Prairie View A&M University is the second-oldest |
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| 12 | 13 | | public institution of higher education in Texas as well as its first |
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| 13 | 14 | | state-supported college for African Americans; the institution was |
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| 14 | 15 | | founded during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War, with |
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| 15 | 16 | | the 15th Texas Legislature establishing it as Alta Vista |
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| 16 | 17 | | Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth in |
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| 17 | 18 | | 1876; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, The university's first class of students, eight |
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| 19 | 20 | | young African American men, began their studies at the campus in |
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| 20 | 21 | | 1878; it was originally designated as a normal school for the |
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| 21 | 22 | | training of teachers, but after it was approved as a branch campus |
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| 22 | 23 | | of the Agricultural Experiment Station and as a Land Grant College, |
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| 23 | 24 | | its curriculum expanded to include the arts and sciences, home |
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| 24 | 25 | | economics, agriculture, mechanical arts, and nursing; a four-year |
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| 25 | 26 | | senior college program was introduced in 1919, and a division of |
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| 26 | 27 | | graduate studies, which offered master's degrees in agricultural |
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| 27 | 28 | | economics, school administration, and other subjects, was added in |
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| 28 | 29 | | 1937; by an act of the 63rd Texas Legislature, the institution |
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| 29 | 30 | | adopted its present-day name, Prairie View A&M University, in 1973; |
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| 30 | 31 | | and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Prairie View A&M has grown considerably over the |
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| 32 | 33 | | course of its long history, and during the fall 2024 semester, it |
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| 33 | 34 | | posted a record-breaking enrollment of nearly 9,900 students; the |
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| 34 | 35 | | university offers more than 70 degree programs through its eight |
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| 35 | 36 | | colleges and schools, including areas of study as varied as |
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| 36 | 37 | | engineering, natural sciences, business, and criminal justice; |
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| 37 | 38 | | situated on a picturesque campus in rural Prairie View, it welcomes |
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| 38 | 39 | | students from across the United States and from many foreign |
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| 39 | 40 | | countries, and it seeks to invest in programs and services that |
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| 40 | 41 | | address the challenges facing the state's diverse ethnic and |
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| 41 | 42 | | socioeconomic groups, as well as those facing society and the world |
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| 42 | 43 | | at large; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Since its founding, Prairie View A&M University has |
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| 44 | 45 | | equipped generations of students with the knowledge and skills |
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| 45 | 46 | | necessary to take their place as leaders in the global community, |
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| 46 | 47 | | and it is a privilege to recognize this venerable institution and |
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| 47 | 48 | | the contributions that its graduates have made to the Lone Star |
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| 48 | 49 | | State and beyond; now, therefore, be it |
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| 49 | 50 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 50 | 51 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2025, as Prairie View A&M |
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| 51 | 52 | | University Day and extend to all those associated with the school |
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| 52 | 53 | | sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 53 | 54 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 54 | 55 | | prepared for Prairie View A&M as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 55 | 56 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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