HR778 - Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University.

      H.R. No. 778       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, The George R. Brown School of Engineering and   Computing at Rice University in Houston is celebrating its 50th   anniversary in 2025; and          WHEREAS, An integral component of the university's rich   legacy, engineering has been a central focus since it was founded as   the Rice Institute in 1912; its first engineering degrees were   conferred in 1916, and over the years, the course of study grew to   include a variety of different programs, degrees, and research   opportunities; by the late 1960s, the school had been the site of a   number of significant engineering advancements, including the   installation of a nuclear reactor and the development of the first   artificial heart; and          WHEREAS, George R. Brown was elected to the Rice Board of   Trustees in 1943, and in 1950, he became the first alumnus to be   named its chair; during his tenure, he oversaw the construction of   Fondren Library, Anderson Hall, and the Abercrombie Engineering   Laboratory, as well as the opening of a 70,000-seat football   stadium; in 1968, his foundation pledged some $4 million to the   school of engineering, and he traveled around the country to   solicit further donations to a $33 million capital campaign from   alumni of the newly redesignated William Marsh Rice University; and          WHEREAS, In 1975, the school's science-engineering division   was divided into the George R. Brown School of Engineering and the   School of Natural Sciences; guided by inaugural Rice president   Edgar O. Lovett's "no upper limit" maxim, the engineering school   has since been named among the top programs in the country; it has   merited this distinction by focusing on interdisciplinary   solutions that integrate sciences, humanities, architecture, and   business; the school encompasses nine academic departments, and its   research efforts are further enriched by 22 engineering-related   institutes and centers; ably guided since 2021 by its dean, Luay   Nakhleh, nearly one-third of Rice undergraduate and graduate   students belong to the engineering and computing school; and          WHEREAS, Over the course of a half century, the   George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing has provided a   number of students with a strong foundation on which to build   rewarding professional careers, and it is indeed worthy of special   recognition at this significant milestone in its history; now,   therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the   George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice   University and extend to all those affiliated with the school   sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for the George R. Brown School of Engineering and   Computing as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of   Representatives.     Johnson     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 778 was adopted by the House on April   17, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 133, Nays 7, 2 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House