H.R. No. 349
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The oldest higher education institution in Austin,
Huston-Tillotson University, is marking its 150th anniversary on
February 28, 2025; and
WHEREAS, The historically Black university traces its roots
back to 1875 when it was originally founded as Tillotson Collegiate
and Normal Institute in honor of the Reverend George Jeffrey
Tillotson; early on, the college benefited from the support of the
Freedmen's Aid Society of the American Missionary Association, and
in 1909, it became known as Tillotson College; the school went on to
serve as a junior college and a women's college before becoming a
senior, coeducational institution in 1931; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Huston College was first organized by the
Reverend George Warren Richardson in 1876, when he leased St. Paul
Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas; the school relocated to
Austin in 1878 and was housed in what is now Wesley United Methodist
Church; renamed in 1887 in honor of benefactor Samuel Huston of
Iowa, it was approved as a senior college by the Texas Department of
Education in 1926; and
WHEREAS, Located less than one mile apart in East Austin, the
two schools merged in 1952 to become the sole provider of higher
education for African Americans in Central Texas until Brown
v. Board of Education was decided two years later; the institution
officially changed its name to Huston-Tillotson University in 2005,
and today, it boasts an enrollment of more than 1,000 students on
its 23-acre campus and offers a wide range of undergraduate
degrees, as well as graduate degrees in business administration and
educational leadership; the university is a member of the Red River
Athletic Conference and is ably guided by president and CEO
Dr. Melva K. Wallace; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception, Huston-Tillotson University
has provided its students with an education that has enriched them
both academically and personally, and in so doing, it has made
important contributions to the Lone Star State and beyond; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 150th anniversary of
Huston-Tillotson University and extend to the school's faculty,
students, staff, and alumni sincere best wishes for the future;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Cole
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 349 was adopted by the House on March
6, 2025, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House