WHEREAS, Gonzaga University has recognized January 24, 2013, as National Gonzaga Day to commemorate the institution's one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga University was founded by Italian-born Jesuit Father Joseph Cataldo as a small seminary for boys; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga University currently serves nearly eight thousand students; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga University has expanded over the years to meet the increasingly diverse economic needs of the Inland Northwest and Washington state; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga University now houses six colleges and schools, administering seventy-five academic majors and programs, twenty-six graduate programs, two doctoral degrees, and a juris doctorate program; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga graduates add value to nearly every sector of the economy in Washington state; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga's mission draws on the Jesuit Tradition and aims to educate the whole person in mind, body, and spirit; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga's academic honors, athletic victories, and record for public service demonstrate the University puts its mission into practice; and
     WHEREAS, U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings have placed Gonzaga as number four among the top regional universities in the West; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga's athletics department has earned national attention for its outstanding performance; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga has earned accolades honoring its institutional support for volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement; and
     WHEREAS, Gonzaga University is the alma mater of numerous notable public servants, including former Speaker of the House Thomas Foley, former Governor Christine Gregoire, former Congressman George Nethercutt, the late civil rights attorney Carl Maxey, and sitting Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and Justices Debra Stevens, Mary Fairhurst, and Steven Gonzalez;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize Gonzaga University's contributions to Washington state in the areas of public service, economic development, and academic excellence, and that the members of this body join the university in commemorating the one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary of this pillar of excellence; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Office of the President at Gonzaga University, and to the Office of the Gonzaga Student Body Association.