HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2000-4744, by Representatives Schoesler, Ogden, Ballard, Chopp, Parlette, Ericksen, Pflug, Benson, Campbell, Mielke, Boldt, DeBolt, Cox, Buck, Skinner, Woods, Barlean, McDonald, Esser, Lambert, Kenney, Tokuda, Grant, Wood, Pennington, Wensman, D. Sommers, Dunn, Van Luven, Carlson, Mastin, Rockefeller, Sullivan, Anderson, Fisher, Cooper, B. Chandler, Santos, Eickmeyer, Stensen, Edmonds, Wolfe, Hatfield, Haigh, Conway, Kagi, Doumit, Radcliff, Ballasiotes, Alexander, D. Schmidt, Delvin, Schindler, Talcott, Clements, Cairnes, McMorris, Thomas, Bush, Ruderman, Lovick, Kastama, Hankins, Mulliken, Carrell, Cody, Constantine, Crouse, Dunshee, Edwards, Fortunato, Huff, Hurst, Keiser, Kessler, Koster, Lantz, Lisk, Miloscia, O'Brien, Poulsen, Regala, Romero, K. Schmidt, Schual‑Berke, Scott, H. Sommers and Sump

           WHEREAS, It is the policy of the Washington State House of Representatives to recognize excellence in all fields of endeavor; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith has shown the highest level of excellence as President of Washington State University (WSU); and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith, a native of Salinas, California, holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees in plant pathology from the University of California at Berkeley and honorary doctoral degrees from Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, and Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok, Russia; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education, including:  1961-Bachelor's degree in plant pathology from the University of California at Berkeley; 1964-Ph.D. in plant pathology from University of California at Berkeley; 1965-NATO postdoctoral fellow at Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Sussex, England; 1965-Joined University of California at Berkeley faculty; 1969-Joined the Pennsylvania State University faculty and later became plant department head; 1981-Appointed College of Agriculture Dean and served as director of both the Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station at Pennsylvania State University; and 1985-Appointed 8th President, Washington State University; and

           WHEREAS, Founded in 1890, WSU has grown in size and stature under Dr. Samuel H. Smith's leadership with its teaching, research, and public service activities receiving world-wide recognition; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith's priorities for WSU include strengthening undergraduate and graduate education, placing an international imprint on programs, and increasing opportunities for women and minorities; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith is recognized nationally as a leader in distance education, and is well known for establishing WSU branch campuses in Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver to serve place-bound and job-bound students, and learning centers and award-winning extended degree programs that have further expanded access to WSU; and

           WHEREAS, In 1998, during the presidency of Dr. Samuel H. Smith, the Washington State Cougar Football team went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in sixty-seven years; and

           WHEREAS, In the fall of 1999, WSU's state-wide enrollment, including the main campus at Pullman, exceeded twenty-one thousand students for the first time, with more than one-third of all WSU graduates since the university's first commencement in 1897 having had their academic degrees granted by Dr. Samuel H. Smith; and

           WHEREAS, Under Dr. Samuel H. Smith's leadership, Campaign WSU, the University's first comprehensive fund-raising effort, attracted $275.4 million in private support, substantially over its $250 million goal, and transformed WSU's ability to serve students and the state of Washington by supporting scholarships, faculty recruitment and retention, learning technology, and state-wide education; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Western Governors University of which WSU is a founding member; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith is Chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges Board of Directors for 2000, and his leadership positions with the association have included serving as chair of both the NASULGC Council of Presidents and its Commission on Information Technologies; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith is a member of the Kellogg Commission on the Future of the State and Land-Grant Universities created by NASULGC which is planning for change and improvement of state universities and land-grant colleges for the 21st century; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith was honored in 1998 at the NASULGC annual meeting as the Justin Smith Morrill Memorial lecturer given by the United States Department of Agriculture and NASULGC once every three years honoring outstanding contemporary leadership in teaching and significant contributions as an educator in promoting the land-grant tradition of the "liberal and practical education of all people"; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith has proved to be an innovative and forward-looking leader in providing whole-hearted support for the agricultural community and creating the unique President's Agriculture 101 Group to ensure Washington's agricultural interests are protected and promoted for the good of the citizens of this state and our trading partners both here and around the world; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith, in January 1999, completed his term as chair of the Executive Committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in 1994 became active in the NCAA when he was elected as the Division I representative to the Presidents Commission and later elected chair of that commission, and in 1997 was elected chair of the Executive Committee, the NCAA's newly formed primary governing body, and served in that capacity until completion of his term; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith has been honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District VIII with its Leadership Award for "qualities beyond leadership" that enable WSU to "dramatically change course, chart a new vision, and exceed even its own expectations" in serving students; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith has announced his intentions to retire on July 1, 2000, having transformed WSU from a university with a single rural campus to a state-wide institution with four campuses, eight learning centers, and a distance education program serving students in every county of the state and leaving WSU in good shape academically and financially; and

           WHEREAS, Dr. Samuel H. Smith and his wife, Pat, have decided this is the right time for them to do the many of the other things they have wanted to do;

           NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor Dr. Samuel H. Smith for his outstanding contributions to Washington State University, to the many students, faculty, and staff whose lives have been impacted by his commitment, and to the people of the state of Washington; and

           BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives to Dr. Samuel H. Smith, members of the Board of Regents of Washington State University, members of the Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Governor Gary Locke.

                              I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

                             Resolution 4744 adopted by the House of Representatives

                                                February 24, 2000.

________________________________                                                     _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk                                                  Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk