A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the founders of the city of greensboro as the city observes its bicentennial.

Whereas, on March 25, 1808, representatives of Guilford County, including Charles Bruce, Hugh Forbis, Jacob Clap, William Armfield, David Caldwell Jr., George Swain, and Nathan Mendenhall, purchased land to serve as the new county seat for Guilford County from Ralph Gorrell for $98.00; and
Whereas, on December 15, 1808, the General Assembly passed an act designating Greensborough as the county seat of Guilford County; and
Whereas, Greensborough was named for Nathanael Greene, a patriot of the Revolutionary War, who played a prominent role during the battle at Guilford Courthouse; and
Whereas, the original spelling of the city was changed from "Greensborough" to "Greensboro" during the late 1890s; and
Whereas, much of Greensboro's early growth was attributed to the railroad, which transformed the small town into a thriving urban center and earned it the nickname, "The Gate City"; and
Whereas, Greensboro's business legacy began with markets, shops, crafts and trades, then agriculture, textiles, furniture, and tobacco industries like Cone Mills and Burlington Industries became the backbone of the local economy with banking and insurance companies making their mark later; and
Whereas, over the years, Greensboro has broadened its economic base by branching out through companies like VF Corporation, AIG/United Guaranty, Lincoln Financial Group, AT&T, American Express, TIMCO, New Breed Corporation, Cone Health Systems, Gilbarco, RF Micro, United Health Care, Volvo, and Richardson Creative Leadership Center; and
Whereas, Greensboro families and businesses have a rich history of philanthropy that continues to grow and enhance the community; and
Whereas, while Greensboro grew economically, its citizens worked to resolve civil rights issues; and
Whereas, Greensboro served as the site of the 1960 Sit‑Ins, which gave the national civil rights movement new momentum, inspiring sit‑ins in 54 cities; and
Whereas, Greensboro's historical role in the civil rights movement will be commemorated in the future International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which will be located on the site of the 1960 Sit‑Ins; and
Whereas, Greensboro has earned a reputation as a city of learning, serving as the location of Guilford Technical Community College, which offers programs to meet the needs of area employers and to prepare students for the workplace; the new Elon University School of Law, which adds another prestigious professional program to the area; and Greensboro College, Guilford College, Bennett College, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; and
Whereas, Guilford College, an independent coeducational institution established by Quakers and chartered in 1834, has the distinction of being among the few college campuses listed by the United States Department of the Interior as a National Historic District; and
Whereas, Greensboro College, a four‑year, independent, coeducational institution founded in 1838, enrolls almost 1,300 students representing 27 states and 16 nations; and
Whereas, Bennett College, an independent women's college founded in 1873, has an enrollment of more than 600 students and offers several unique degree programs, including Womanist Religious Studies and Global Studies as well as dual degree programs with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in various engineering programs; and
Whereas, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, one of the three original institutions of The University of North Carolina, was chartered in 1891 as an educational facility for women and became a coeducational institution in 1964; and
Whereas, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with an annual enrollment of more than 17,150 students, offers undergraduate degrees in more than 100 areas of study and graduate degrees in more than 60 master's degree programs and doctoral degrees in 18 programs of study,  including the Department of Counseling and Educational Development, which was ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in 2008 and the School of Education, which was ranked 73rd, and anticipates receiving more than $37 million in research grants at the end of the current fiscal year; and
Whereas, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, established in 1891 as a land‑grant university, offers more than 99 undergraduate degree programs, more than 50 master's degree programs, and doctorates in mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering, energy and environmental studies, and leadership studies; and currently has an enrollment of 10,150 students; and
Whereas, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a high research activity institution ranked third in the UNC System in research funding at $41.5 million in 2007, has the largest School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences among all historically black colleges and universities with six nationally accredited programs; and
Whereas, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro has been successful in contributing to Greensboro's economy through its Office of Technology Transfer, which has a mission to encourage innovation and disseminate knowledge; help commercializing discoveries developed by faculty, students and staff; and assist faculty in obtaining research support from corporate sponsors; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University's partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service allowed for the relocation of a national technology center and a remote sensing lab to Greensboro, which produced 80 high‑tech jobs for the city; and
Whereas, the Gateway University Research Park, a joint collaboration between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, was developed to support research and economic development within the Triad and, when fully completed, is expected to generate an economic impact of $50 million per year within the region; and
Whereas, Greensboro is a city of more than 244,610 residents living in over 200 neighborhoods; and
Whereas, today, interstate highways, rail lines, and an international airport link Greensboro to regional, national, and global economies enabling the city to thrive as a major transportation hub for central North Carolina and the southeastern United States; and
Whereas, Greensboro continues to the present day to celebrate its rich cultural, religious, ethnic, and racial diversity; and
Whereas, Greensboro is committed to an outstanding quality of life built around its green spaces and healthy environment; and
Whereas, Greensboro's bicentennial is worthy of celebration; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the founders of the City of Greensboro for the contributions they made to the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its congratulations to the City of Greensboro on its bicentennial and urges all North Carolinians to join the citizens of the City of Greensboro in celebrating its bicentennial.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Mayor of the City of Greensboro and the Chairs of the Greensboro Bicentennial Commission.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 27th day of May, 2008.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives