HJR 1430

                                                                     <BillNo> <Sponsor>
                              HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1430
                                           By Clemmons
                              A RESOLUTION to commend Stratton Bone on the occasion of an
                                           agricultural building in Lebanon being named in
                                           his honor.
       WHEREAS, neither Wilson County nor the State of Tennessee has ever known a more
devoted servant-leader than native son Sam Stratton Bone, Jr.; and
       WHEREAS, for his entire life, Mr. Bone has worked assiduously to make Wilson County
an even better place through his leadership in numerous civic organizations; and
       WHEREAS, a lifetime farmer himself, he has contributed significantly to the agricultural
community at both the State and local levels; and
       WHEREAS, in recognition of his peerless legacy, a building at the James E. Ward
Agricultural Center in Lebanon is being designated the "Stratton Bone Made in Tennessee
Building," with a dedication ceremony to be held on April 30, 2026; and
       WHEREAS, Mr. Bone served on the Wilson County Commission for a total of twenty-
four years, and he is the sole living commissioner who voted to purchase the land for the James
E. Ward Agricultural Center in 1974; and
       WHEREAS, Stratton Bone was a valuable member of the Tennessee General
Assembly's House of Representatives for seven terms, representing the people of Wilson
County with integrity, purpose, and commitment; and
       WHEREAS, as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, he examined the shifting
economic climate for his fellow farmers and brought about much-needed innovation and
increased funding for agriculture; and
       WHEREAS, Mr. Bone is renowned as the father of the Tennessee Agricultural
Enhancement Program, which, since its inception, has provided over $289 million to farmers in
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all ninety-five Tennessee counties to conduct over 92,500 projects for the purpose of making
long-term investments in farms and rural communities; and
       WHEREAS, while serving as Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Stratton Bone founded
Ag Day on The Hill to draw attention to the importance of agriculture in Tennessee, and this
event is still a highlight of each legislative session; and
       WHEREAS, Stratton Bone has received numerous awards and accolades for his lifetime
of public service, but paramount among these honors is his induction into the Wilson County
Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2025; and
       WHEREAS, Stratton Bone has set an example that future generations would do well to
emulate, and he is most deserving of our approbation on this special occasion; now, therefore,
       BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we commend Stratton Bone on the occasion of the Made in Tennessee
Building at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon being named in his honor,
recognize his many contributions to Wilson County and this State's agricultural community, and
extend to him our best wishes for much continued success and happiness.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.
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