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1997 SESSION
WHEREAS, on March 19, 1872, Governor Gilbert C. Walker signed the bill that created the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, which opened its doors in October of that year to 132 students; and
WHEREAS, funds for the creation of the college came from the Morrill Land-Grant Act, which had been signed 10 years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln and which allowed the federal government to give land to the states to raise funds for the establishment of new colleges; and
WHEREAS, 125 years and three name changes later, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has grown into the largest university in the Commonwealth, enrolling nearly 25,000 students in 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Tech has, throughout its history, established a number of "firsts," including being home to the first college military corps to become co-ed, in 1973; and
WHEREAS, with its many strong academic programs and its continuous commitment to excellence, Virginia Tech has built a national and international reputation for leadership and innovation in a wide variety of academic disciplines; and
WHEREAS, long a leader in science, engineering, and agriculture, Virginia Tech has earned national acclaim for its colleges of architecture, business, forestry and wildlife, education, and arts and sciences; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Tech's graduate programs now produce 37 percent of Virginia's doctorates; its fully computerized library offers nearly two million volumes and an array of electronic databases; its innovative Blacksburg Electronic Village connects all campus facilities with the Town of Blacksburg via fiber-optic cable; and its research program is now the largest among Virginia's colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS, intelligent and motivated students, a dedicated and highly qualified faculty, a visionary administration, and some of the finest facilities in the world all make Virginia Tech a rare and valuable asset to the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly most heartily commend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on the occasion of its 125th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the General Assembly join with the students, faculty, staff, and thousands of alumni of Virginia Tech in commemorating this milestone in the university's history; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Paul E. Torgersen, president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in honor of Virginia Tech's position of leadership among the country's institutions of higher education.