TITLE: Recognizing February 6, 2013, as Bryan-College Station Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 6, 2013, 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 6, 2013, 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 almost 700,000 visitors since it opened in 1997; as the repository of more than 100,000 artifacts, 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 shopping and dining locations abound in the two cities, and the many beautiful parks offer residents and visitors opportunities for a range of recreational and leisure pursuits; 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 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 6, 2013, 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 M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 254 was adopted by the House on February 6, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House