EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

1-1 Whereas, Born in 1923, Henry C. Hodges Sr. was raised in a family

1-2 whose father demanded an interest in science and whose mother demanded

1-3 a love of animals and the West; and

1-4 Whereas, In 1929, the Hodges’ family pioneered the Jumping Horse

1-5 Ranch in Montana and, at the age of 8 years, Henry Hodges began his

1-6 career in vehicular mobility when he started his first trucking company on

1-7 the ranch with three wheelbarrows, one of which was equipped with a

1-8 pneumatic low pressure tire to make spring cleaning of the corrals easier;

1-9 and

2-1 Whereas, World War II interrupted the collegiate career of Henry

2-2 Hodges, but the invaluable experience he gained as a member of the 10th

2-3 Mountain Division of the United States Army stimulated his interest in

2-4 developing off-highway wheel and tracked vehicles to move infantrymen

2-5 into combat; and

2-6 Whereas, From 1953 to 1957, Henry Hodges managed the Detroit

2-7 Arsenal Test Operation of the United States Army at Camp Bullis, Texas,

2-8 where he directed the testing and development of combat vehicles from

2-9 jeeps to main battle tanks which required the establishment of controlled

2-10 and repeatable test courses on beach heads, desert dunes, mountain trails

2-11 and mud pits; and

2-12 Whereas, In 1957, the Detroit Arsenal Test Operation was closed, and

2-13 the Texas test programs were transferred to Nevada where the Nevada

2-14 Automotive Test Center was founded and where Henry Hodges and a four-

2-15 man crew continued the essential U.S. Army wheel and track development

2-16 tests which grew to include more than 60 employees by 1968; and

2-17 Whereas, Henry Hodges worked extensively with the military and the

2-18 United States Forest Service on the use of Central Tire Inflation Systems,

2-19 whereby tire pressures are reduced or increased from inside the vehicle

2-20 based on the condition of the road being traversed to enhance tire traction,

2-21 reduce road deterioration and diminish vehicle maintenance costs; and

2-22 Whereas, During the 1960s, Henry Hodges developed and

2-23 implemented the methodology for testing the traction of tires on hard

2-24 surfaces, soft soil and winter environments, and by using state-of-the-art

2-25 recording instrumentation, he was able to measure and record for the first

2-26 time a complete biaxial traction curve in these materials; and

2-27 Whereas, In the early 1970s, Henry Hodges developed Vehicle

2-28 Dynamics Seminars, which teach students how a vehicle reacts during a tire

2-29 blowout and how a person can control the situation, and these training

2-30 classes, which are now promoted by the American Trucking Association,

2-31 have included participants from law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and

2-32 truck and school bus drivers from around the country; and

2-33 Whereas, By 1972, the ever-expanding Test Center had moved all of

2-34 its testing to the state-of-the-art proving ground facility developed on the

2-35 historic Break-A-Heart Ranch near Fort Churchill, Nevada, which currently

2-36 employs more than 200 people; and

2-37 Whereas, In 1976, Henry Hodges built a Dynamic Force Measurement

2-38 Vehicle that measures the forces acting on the vehicle and tire, and this

2-39 vehicle proved to be the basis for a series of traction vehicles built to

2-40 measure both road surfaces, and tire braking and traction in a variety of

2-41 environments, including mud, snow, ice, and wet and dry pavement; and

3-1 Whereas, At the Nevada Automotive Test Center, Henry Hodges

3-2 directed most of the original test and development efforts of the High

3-3 Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle which was built for the United

3-4 States Army, and subsequent demonstrations of this vehicle, nicknamed the

3-5 "Hummer" and other military and commercial vehicles brought many

3-6 visitors to Nevada from other states and foreign countries; and

3-7 Whereas, In the 1990s, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert

3-8 Storm, Henry Hodges worked extensively with the United States Army

3-9 providing on-site advice and procedures to enhance the mobility and

3-10 reliability of vehicles and tires for the troops in the field; and

3-11 Whereas, Henry Hodges was presented with the Commander’s Award

3-12 for Public Service and a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian

3-13 Service by the Department of the Army to commemorate the work he did

3-14 for the United States Army; and

3-15 Whereas, Based on Henry Hodges’ technical expertise, the Nevada

3-16 Automotive Test Center was able to develop the WesTrack project, an

3-17 experimental road test facility, for the Federal Highway Administration at

3-18 the proving ground in Nevada, including the longest research project on

3-19 asphalt mixes in the world which has prompted visits to Nevada from

3-20 thousands of pavement engineers from around the world; and

3-21 Whereas, The WesTrack project also led to the development of the

3-22 driverless vehicle technology that has achieved more than 800,000 miles of

3-23 heavy truck operation, all done by computer, which is the highest number

3-24 of driverless vehicle operating miles ever achieved in the world; and

3-25 Whereas, Henry Hodges is one of the world’s leading experts in

3-26 transportation research and development, including tire and vehicle testing

3-27 for both governmental and private sector clients; and

3-28 Whereas, His Nevada Automotive Test Center is recognized for its

3-29 commitment to providing unique, timely, creative, useful and cost-effective

3-30 solutions with knowledge, excellence and integrity for transportation

3-31 partners worldwide; now, therefore, be it

3-32 Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

3-33 Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

3-34 Legislature do hereby commend Henry C. Hodges Sr. for his achievements

3-35 related to product integrity, performance and safety, his contributions to the

3-36 field of transportation research and development, and his dedication and

3-37 allegiance to his state and country; and be it further

3-38 Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit a

3-39 copy of this resolution to Henry C. Hodges Sr.