THE BILL ITSELF
SR 1796
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1796 By Senator Wright 8-02179-26 20261796__
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Senate Resolution
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A resolution recognizing Embry–Riddle Aeronautical
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University on its 100th anniversary.
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WHEREAS, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, then known
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as the Embry-Riddle Flying School, was founded in 1926 by
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visionaries John Paul Riddle and T. Higbee Embry, and
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WHEREAS, John Paul Riddle and T. Higbee Embry recognized
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the importance of aviation and sought to create an institution
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that focused on future opportunities within the field of
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aviation, and
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WHEREAS, the Embry-Riddle Company and the Embry-Riddle
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Flying School were established at Lunken Field in Cincinnati,
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Ohio, offering flight training and aircraft sales, and
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WHEREAS, in 1939, the Embry-Riddle Company was reborn as a
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seaplane base in Miami, where John Paul Riddle partnered with
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John McKay and entered into an agreement with the University of
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Miami to train college students to become pilots under the 1939
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Civilian Pilot Training Program, and
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WHEREAS, during World War II, the Embry-Riddle Flying
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School was renamed the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation, and
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under the leadership of John McKay, the school trained thousands
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of pilots and mechanics for the United States Army Air Corps,
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laying the foundation for the school’s reputation as a leader in
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aviation education, and
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WHEREAS, following the death of John McKay in 1951, his
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wife, Isabel McKay, served as president of the Embry-Riddle
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School of Aviation until 1962, when she resigned to become the
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chair of its board of trustees, and
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WHEREAS, shortly thereafter, United States Navy Commander
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Jack Hunt became the first president of what had then become the
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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute and moved the institute from
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Miami to Daytona Beach in 1965, and
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WHEREAS, in 1970, the institute was granted university
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status, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University opened its
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first remote location in Fort Rucker, Alabama, providing
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education to military personnel and eventually leading to the
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establishment of campuses around the world, and
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WHEREAS, in August 1978, the university opened its Prescott
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Campus in Prescott, Arizona, with 240 students, and its
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enrollment has grown to over 3,400 students today and includes
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the nation’s only College of Business, Security, and
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Intelligence, and
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WHEREAS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s strong
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global presence was strengthened in 2011 when the university
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established its first campus in Singapore, positioning the
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university for success in the growing aviation sector of East
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Asia, and
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WHEREAS, today, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University serves
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more than 32,000 students annually and offers more than 100
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degree programs at every level of postsecondary education, NOW,
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THEREFORE,
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Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
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That Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is congratulated on
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the occasion of its 100th anniversary.