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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Southern Methodist University is celebrating 100 |
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years of operation in 2015, a milestone that marks a century of |
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growth, progress, and achievement; and |
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WHEREAS, SMU traces its roots back to 1911, when the United |
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Methodist Episcopal Church, South, laid the foundation for a new |
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university in Dallas after residents pledged $300,000 to secure its |
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location there; the institution opened its doors on September 22, |
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1915, welcoming an inaugural class of 456 students at its colleges |
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of liberal arts, music, and theology; and |
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WHEREAS, A private, nonsectarian university, SMU today has an |
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endowment of $1.4 billion and an enrollment of more than 11,000 |
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students from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries, reflecting a |
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wide diversity of geographic, economic, and religious backgrounds; |
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students benefit from small class sizes and a wealth of research and |
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learning resources, including nine libraries that together contain |
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the largest private collection of research materials in the |
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Southwest; under the leadership of President R. Gerald Turner, the |
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university also boasts a world-class faculty and enjoys a |
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reputation as a leader in research across a broad range of |
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disciplines; and |
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WHEREAS, Degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and |
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professional levels are offered through seven schools, including |
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the Cox School of Business, one of the top-ranked business schools |
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nationally and globally, as well as highly rated colleges of law, |
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engineering, and the arts; named among the best national |
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universities by U.S. News & World Report, SMU has also been |
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recognized for the impressive number of its graduates who go on to |
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start businesses and for its record of success in preparing alumni |
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for senior executive positions in the corporate world; and |
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WHEREAS, The picturesque main campus of SMU, located five |
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miles north of downtown Dallas, consists of 101 buildings on 234 |
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acres, and the university additionally operates satellite campuses |
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in Plano and in Taos, New Mexico; the Dallas community benefits |
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greatly from the educational and cultural opportunities provided by |
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the university, which welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually |
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for special events; among the attractions unique to the campus are |
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the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a complex that houses the |
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Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush |
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Institute, and the Meadows Museum, which features an expansive |
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collection of Spanish art; and |
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WHEREAS, The SMU athletics program draws an enthusiastic |
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following as well; students compete in Division I of the American |
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Athletic Conference, and during the 2013-14 school year, 10 of the |
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school's sports teams qualified for postseason tournaments; the SMU |
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men's basketball team made a particularly strong showing, advancing |
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to the championship game of the 2014 National Invitation Tournament |
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and tallying an unprecedented number of home victories; and |
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WHEREAS, Looking to the future, the university launched the |
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Second Century Campaign in 2008 to fulfill a comprehensive set of |
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objectives that will further enhance SMU's status as a premier |
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learning environment; since that time, the initiative has resulted |
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in new classroom, athletic, and student life facilities, as well as |
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student scholarships, academic programs, and faculty positions; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout its history, Southern Methodist |
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University has contributed to the prosperity and cultural vitality |
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of the Lone Star State and to the advancement of human knowledge |
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around the world, and the next century will no doubt continue the |
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proud tradition of excellence associated with this venerable |
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institution; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Southern |
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Methodist University and extend to the school's administration, |
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faculty, staff, and students sincere best wishes for the future; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the university as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |