89R9134 CJM-F
By: Tepper H.R. No. 54
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting the
Texas Capitol on February 19, 2025, to pay tribute to their city's
rich heritage and to celebrate Lubbock Day; and
WHEREAS, Located within the Llano Estacado, Lubbock was
established in an area that was known for its tough conditions; as a
result, it was settled long after many other parts of the North
American continent, and the citizens who reside there today reflect
the same welcoming and resilient pioneer spirit as the early
founders; and
WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16,
1909; railroads, farming, and ranching stimulated the city's growth
as a trade center, and when legislation creating Texas
Technological College was passed in 1923, the site selection
committee, impressed by the enthusiasm and hospitality of its
citizens, chose Lubbock for its location; and
WHEREAS, Today, with a metropolitan area of more than 400,000
people, Lubbock is home to the Texas Tech University System and its
flagship institutions, Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech
Health Sciences Center, both world-renowned organizations; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center attracts
nearly 5,500 students from around the world and is currently ranked
as the number one health university in the nation by the
SR Education Group, ranking higher than programs at rival Ivy
League colleges; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock is consistently recognized by national
organizations for its business-friendly atmosphere, including
being named the number one city for women professionals; it is
ranked in the top 20 cities for young entrepreneurs starting a
business and was named seventh in the Forbes list of top
"Opportunity Cities," based on its low cost of living, its cultural
resources, and the strength of its business community; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock has a diverse economy that draws its
strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and oil and gas, as well
as from educational and health care services, entertainment, and
the largest medical infrastructure in Texas west of I-35; the
city's meticulously planned infrastructure has resulted in a
low-traffic community with more neighborhood parks per capita than
any other city in Texas; and
WHEREAS, With the growth of the cotton industry on the
High Plains, Lubbock has become one of the world's primary centers
for the processing of cottonseed and hybrid-grain sorghum seed;
moreover, the region just north of Lubbock has the highest density
of cattle in the entire country; Lubbock is now the home of several
major award-winning wineries and vineyards that produce more than
80 percent of the state's wine grapes; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock offers a wealth of cultural and recreational
opportunities, including the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Ballet
Lubbock, the Silent Wings Museum, the Museum and Planetarium of
Texas Tech University, the new Buddy Holly Hall, a state-of-the-art
performing arts center, and many more; those wanting a glimpse of
frontier history can find it in the restored structures at the
National Ranching Heritage Center, a 15-acre site tracing the
evolution of ranch operations, architecture, and the history and
traditions of the cattle industry; the region's history is also
celebrated at the ever-expanding FiberMax Center for Discovery and
the picturesque American Windmill Museum; and
WHEREAS, The talented musicians who have come from the
Lubbock area include Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Roy Orbison, the
Maines family, Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Mac
Davis, Tanya Tucker, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock,
The Flatlanders, Jon Baumann, The Chicks, Flatland Cavalry, and
Josh Abbott, as well as Texas Tech alumni John Denver, Pat Green,
and William Clark Green; their rich and diverse contributions have
earned Lubbock recognition as the Music Crossroads of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving commerce is represented by the
largest business federation on the Texas South Plains, the Lubbock
Chamber of Commerce, which expands and guards the prosperity of the
Lubbock area; and
WHEREAS, Early major achievements propelled by the chamber of
commerce during more than a century of service include recruiting
farmers from out of state to produce crops on the fertile soils of
the Llano Estacado, working to bring the railroad to Lubbock,
establishing the South Plains Fair, and drafting and delivering to
the Texas Capitol the application that would result in establishing
Texas Technological College, which today is the heart of the
Texas Tech University System; and
WHEREAS, The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in
establishing Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, Reese
Air Force Base, and outstanding transportation infrastructure, and
it was the first chamber of commerce in Texas to introduce an
Association Health Plan for 34 West Texas counties, which became a
model nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Among the delegation visiting the Capitol today are
members of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce's 47th Leadership
Lubbock Class, who represent the business and community leaders of
Lubbock; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Lubbock have truly kept faith with
the founders of their West Texas community; renowned for their
faith, hospitality, and warmth as well as their hardiness and
determination, they have helped to build a vital urban center that
serves not only a large part of West Texas but also the surrounding
region; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2025, as Lubbock Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting
delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for
the bright dusty aura they add to the Lone Star State.