H.R. No. 778
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The George R. Brown School of Engineering and
Computing at Rice University in Houston is celebrating its 50th
anniversary in 2025; and
WHEREAS, An integral component of the university's rich
legacy, engineering has been a central focus since it was founded as
the Rice Institute in 1912; its first engineering degrees were
conferred in 1916, and over the years, the course of study grew to
include a variety of different programs, degrees, and research
opportunities; by the late 1960s, the school had been the site of a
number of significant engineering advancements, including the
installation of a nuclear reactor and the development of the first
artificial heart; and
WHEREAS, George R. Brown was elected to the Rice Board of
Trustees in 1943, and in 1950, he became the first alumnus to be
named its chair; during his tenure, he oversaw the construction of
Fondren Library, Anderson Hall, and the Abercrombie Engineering
Laboratory, as well as the opening of a 70,000-seat football
stadium; in 1968, his foundation pledged some $4 million to the
school of engineering, and he traveled around the country to
solicit further donations to a $33 million capital campaign from
alumni of the newly redesignated William Marsh Rice University; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, the school's science-engineering division
was divided into the George R. Brown School of Engineering and the
School of Natural Sciences; guided by inaugural Rice president
Edgar O. Lovett's "no upper limit" maxim, the engineering school
has since been named among the top programs in the country; it has
merited this distinction by focusing on interdisciplinary
solutions that integrate sciences, humanities, architecture, and
business; the school encompasses nine academic departments, and its
research efforts are further enriched by 22 engineering-related
institutes and centers; ably guided since 2021 by its dean, Luay
Nakhleh, nearly one-third of Rice undergraduate and graduate
students belong to the engineering and computing school; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of a half century, the
George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing has provided a
number of students with a strong foundation on which to build
rewarding professional careers, and it is indeed worthy of special
recognition at this significant milestone in its history; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice
University and extend to all those affiliated with the school
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the George R. Brown School of Engineering and
Computing as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of
Representatives.
Johnson
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 778 was adopted by the House on April
17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 127, Nays 13, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House