HR531 - Commemorating the 88th anniversary of the New London School Explosion.

      H.R. No. 531       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, In observance of the 88th anniversary of the New   London school explosion, the West Rusk Alumni Association, and the   New London Museum are hosting a Day of Remembrance and All-School   Reunion on March 18, 2025; and          WHEREAS, In 1937, New London, Texas, boasted one of the most   prosperous rural school districts in the nation, thanks to the   area's booming oil fields, and community residents took pride in   their new state-of-the-art school building; and          WHEREAS, Shortly after three o'clock on the afternoon of   March 18, children were preparing for an upcoming interscholastic   meet in a nearby town when a shop instructor switched on a sanding   machine; unbeknownst to anyone, a natural gas leak had filled the   school's basement with an incendiary mix of gas and air, and the   machine's spark ignited an explosion that destroyed the school in   an instant, collapsing the walls and bringing the roof down upon the   children and teachers below; the explosion was heard four miles   away, and a two-ton slab of concrete was hurled 200 feet, crushing a   car; and          WHEREAS, Hundreds of frantic parents and community members   rushed to the scene, and some 1,500 roughnecks from the nearby   oilfields dropped their work to join in the rescue and recovery   effort; within an hour, Governor James Allred had sent the Texas   Rangers and the highway patrol to lend assistance; and          WHEREAS, Of the 500 students and 40 teachers in the building   at the time, nearly 300 died; the new Mother Francis Hospital in   Tyler canceled its dedication ceremony to treat the injured, and   the Texas Funeral Directors Association sent 25 embalmers to the   scene; the disaster became international news, drawing journalists   from around the nation, including a young Walter Cronkite; and          WHEREAS, In the aftermath of the explosion, the Texas   Legislature passed a law requiring that a distinctive scent be   added to natural gas so that future tragedies of that nature might   be avoided; today, the worst school disaster in U.S. history is   recorded in the exhibits of the New London Museum and remembered   with a cenotaph displaying the names of all those who lost their   lives; and          WHEREAS, The memory of this horrific tragedy reminds us of   the fragility of life, but it also serves as a testament to the   power of community, and even as we pay tribute to the lives that   were lost, we also honor the heroic efforts of all those who rushed   to their aid; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby commemorate the 88th anniversary of the New   London school explosion and extend to all those associated with the   Day of Remembrance sincere best wishes for a meaningful and   memorable event; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared   for the West Rusk Alumni Association, and the New London Museum as   an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.     Shofner     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 531 was adopted by the House on March   31, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House