TITLE: Recognizing February 4, 2015, as Bryan-College Station Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 4, 2015, as Bryan-College Station Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Proud residents of the Bryan-College Station area are gathering in Austin on February 4, 2015, to celebrate Bryan-College Station Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Located among the gentle, rolling hills of the Brazos Valley, this part of east-central Texas was encompassed in the land grant that Stephen F. Austin received in 1825; one of Austin's nephews, William Joel Bryan, donated land for a town site in 1859, and the new settlement was named in his honor; surrounded by fertile farmlands and served by the railroad from the late 1860s onward, Bryan became an important commercial center and was formally incorporated in 1872; and WHEREAS, Just south of Bryan, a defining event occurred in 1876 when the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas opened its doors to students for the first time; the community that grew up adjacent to the new school took its name, College Station, from the post office that was established there, along the railway, in 1887; home to many faculty members, the town expanded northward through the years, aided in part by an electric railway that linked it to Bryan in the early 1900s, and the community incorporated in 1938; growing in conjunction with the university, College Station saw a sixfold increase in its population between 1960 and 2000; and WHEREAS, Texas A&M is one of the largest public universities in the United States and ranks among the nation's leaders in academic research; students from around the globe pursue degrees in diverse areas of study, and this international presence infuses additional vibrancy into a school already rich in tradition and spirit; former A&M students have achieved distinction in many fields of endeavor, and five individuals affiliated with the university have earned the Nobel Prize; the university also benefits from the loyal backing of a legion of students, alumni, and other supporters, who know Bryan-College Station affectionately as Aggieland; and WHEREAS, The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the university campus is the area's leading tourist attraction and has received more than 700,000 visitors since it opened in 1997; as the repository of artifacts, documents, film, photographs, music, and more, the library and museum document the career and accomplishments of the nation's 41st president while promoting civic literacy and fostering volunteerism and an interest in public service; a number of other outstanding museums and galleries are located in Bryan-College Station as well, making the area a thriving center for cultural activities; and WHEREAS, Excellent business opportunities are also found in the two cities, encouraged by the notable efforts of the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce; for the last 17 years, the chamber has benefited from the outstanding leadership of President and CEO Royce Hickman, who is a graduate of A&M, past president of the school's former students association, and member of the George Bush School of Government and Public Services Development Council, the Texas A&M Career Center Advisory Council, and the Bush School Public Service Organization Advisory Board; and WHEREAS, Together, Bryan and College Station afford the amenities of a dynamic metropolitan area while also providing the charm and warmth that are typical of small towns, and this combination helps make these adjoining communities a unique, prosperous, and enjoyable part of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 4, 2015, as Bryan-College Station Day at the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a rewarding visit to Austin. Raney Kacal Straus Guerra Otto Allen Guillen Paddie Alonzo Gutierrez Parker Alvarado Harless Paul Anchia Hernandez Pe a Anderson of Dallas Herrero Phelan Anderson of McLennan Howard Phillips Ashby Huberty Pickett Aycock Hughes Price Bell Hunter Raney Blanco Isaac Raymond Bohac Israel Reynolds Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Riddle Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rinaldi Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Burns Keough Rodriguez of Travis Burrows King of Hemphill Romero, Jr. Button King of Parker Rose Canales King of Taylor Sanford Capriglione King of Uvalde Schaefer Clardy Klick Schofield Coleman Koop Shaheen Collier Krause Sheets Cook Kuempel Sheffield Craddick Landgraf Simmons Crownover Larson Simpson Dale Laubenberg Smith Darby Leach Smithee Davis of Dallas Longoria Spitzer Davis of Harris Lozano Springer Deshotel Lucio III Stephenson Dukes M rquez Stickland Dutton Martinez Thompson of Brazoria Elkins Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris Faircloth McClendon Tinderholt Fallon Men ndez Turner of Collin Farias Metcalf Turner of Harris Farney Meyer Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles VanDeaver Fletcher Miller of Comal Villalba Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White of Bell Galindo Mu oz, Jr. White of Tyler Geren Murphy Workman Giddings Murr Wray Goldman Naishtat Wu Gonzales Nev rez Zedler Gonz lez Oliveira Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 171 was adopted by the House on February 4, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House