H.R. No. 477
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine in 2025 is marking the
125th anniversary of its founding; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1900 by a group of physicians in Dallas,
the school was originally named the University of Dallas Medical
Department; three years later, the school became affiliated with
Baylor University in Waco and was renamed Baylor University College
of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, In 1943, the MD Anderson Foundation invited Baylor
University College of Medicine to join the Texas Medical Center in
Houston, and the school opened with 131 students; four years later,
Baylor moved to its present site in the Roy and Lillie Cullen
Building, which is now a state-designated historical landmark; and
WHEREAS, The college became an independent institution in
1969, which allowed it access to federal research funding, and
changed its name to Baylor College of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, Today, Baylor College of Medicine is one of the top
medical research institutions in the nation; it consists of the
School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School
of Health Professions, and National School of Tropical Medicine;
and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine ranks first in Texas and
20th in the country in funding from the National Institutes of
Health, and it is classified as a Tier One medical school by U.S.
News & World Report; and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine is committed to the
education of the next generation of health care providers and
scientists and to ensuring there are enough medical professionals
to serve the state's residents, with nearly half of the graduating
medical students continuing their medical training in Texas; in
2023, the inaugural class of medical students started at Baylor's
regional medical school campus in Temple, in a partnership with
Baylor Scott & White Health to address the state's shortage of rural
caregivers, and 92 percent of that class consists of students from
Texas; and
WHEREAS, At the forefront of basic and translational science,
Baylor College of Medicine contributes significantly to the
understanding of diseases in humans and beyond, with the goal of
discovering how diseases develop and finding treatments and cures
for them; this distinguished work includes pioneering the field of
cardiovascular surgery, which today extends to serving as a leader
in the area of robotic heart surgery; the college also plays a major
role in sequencing the human genome, developing the field of
molecular endocrinology, and innovating lifesaving screening
techniques and a vaccine for a deadly disease in elephants; and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine serves the community
through excellent primary and specialty patient care, with its
physicians seeing patients at a number of Texas Medical Center
facilities, including Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Texas
Children's Hospital, the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, and Harris Health System; the college's physicians
also serve community health clinics in the Greater Houston area as
well as CHRISTUS Children's in San Antonio, and they further
benefit Texans through community outreach and volunteerism,
providing high-quality health care services and engaging in
initiatives to improve public health and well-being; and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine's work in the community
extends to K-12 education through the development of curriculum and
interactive teaching materials by the college's scientists and
educators for elementary and secondary school learners; the college
also offers training opportunities for local middle school and high
school science teachers, including at the Michael E. DeBakey High
School for Health Professions in Houston; through these free
programs, the college helps to promote science learning and develop
children's interest in STEM and medicine career pathways; and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine partners with a growing
number of schools and school districts across the state of Texas to
prepare youth for jobs in the health and biomedical workforce,
addressing shortages of professionals such as nurses, mental health
professionals, and clinical laboratory technicians; each year,
more than 3,000 Texas students participate in Baylor College of
Medicine-associated magnet school programs; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to the advancement of high-quality,
ethical care in communities around the world, Baylor College of
Medicine offers pediatric and family-centered services in the areas
of HIV/AIDS, cancer, maternal health, and orthopedics, and it
provides training and technical assistance to health care
professionals, enhancing the quality of treatment in the regions
they serve; and
WHEREAS, For more than a century, Baylor College of Medicine
has been a resource of immeasurable value to the Lone Star State,
and during this milestone year, it is fitting to acknowledge its
longstanding commitment to improving health through science,
scholarship, and innovation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 125th anniversary of Baylor
College of Medicine and extend to all those associated with the
institution sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Baylor College of Medicine as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Johnson
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 477 was adopted by the House on March
31, 2025, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House