89R14805 KRT-D
By: Cook S.R. No. 130
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Memorial Park marked its 100th anniversary in 2024,
providing a welcome opportunity to pay tribute to the rich legacy of
Houston's largest urban wilderness and recreational green space;
and
WHEREAS, In 1924, Will and Mike Hogg, with minority owner
Henry Stude, purchased two tracts of land that had previously
served as the Camp Logan training base during World War I and sold
the acreage at cost to the City of Houston; in May of that year, the
city officially established Memorial Park in honor of the soldiers
who trained at the camp and fought in the war; conservationist Ima
Hogg, the sister of Will and Mike Hogg, served for half a century as
guardian of the park, playing an instrumental role in saving it from
a number of potential encroachments; and
WHEREAS, Today, Memorial Park is overseen by Memorial Park
Conservancy, a nonprofit group founded in 2000 that manages 1,100
of the park's 1,500 acres; the conservancy directed the Memorial
centennial celebration in 2024 while raising more than $3.2 million
in support of the park's daily care; dedicated to keeping the park
free for all users, the conservancy conducts public education about
green space preservation, creates events, programs, and park areas,
and works to highlight Memorial's cultural history; moreover, the
organization has helped formulate and carry out the Memorial Park
Master Plan in partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation
Department, Kinder Foundation, and Uptown Development Authority,
delivering transformational capital improvements, the restoration
of the park's ecological systems, and an operations and maintenance
plan for the park; and
WHEREAS, The millions of people who visit Memorial Park each
year enjoy a range of athletic facilities and recreational
amenities that include trails for running, walking, and cycling,
picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, a pool, volleyball
courts, ballfields, and the renowned Memorial Park Golf Course,
which in 2016 was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, For more than a century, Memorial Park has served as
a sanctuary for relaxation and recreation for the residents of
Houston, and it is indeed a pleasure to join in recognizing this
treasured community asset; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
hereby commemorate the centennial of Memorial Park in Houston and
extend to all those associated with the park sincere best wishes for
the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Memorial Park Conservancy as an expression of high
regard by the Texas Senate.