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In discussing Heights park I want to start with Richardson’s old city emblem. Older residents might remember that the City of Richardson adopted it in the 60s and it was present until sometime into the 1970s. I start with this because I think this emblem best symbolizes the spirit of the City of Richardson and especially the spirit in the formative years in the few decades following World War II.

The four quadrants symbolize the four aspects that were important to the City’s identity: The circuit, the church, schools, and the home.

Tradition in the form of the church is present but the church is not Palladian or Classical but Modern. Embracing the new in the form of technology is found in the electronic circuit in the upper right. So tradition is embraced and folded into the new. The house represents suburbia but also the family because it is where the family dwells. The school is important also because it represents one of the places where members are of society are nurtured into full adults and it represents the welcoming of knowledge. All of these are underlined by the slogan, “A growing city with a planned future.” In the background they are connected by man or by the individual person. That is to say, the picture is not complete without adding in the human element. It shows Richardson in the light of the coming of the age of information.

I pick this because it represents the spirit of what Richardson is and what we are charged to nurture and maintain. The spirit of Richardson is one of forward looking modern optimism. It keeps a thread to tradition while embracing the future with a strong optimism and what modern present can bring. If one looks at the development of the city its easy to see this in the development of Texas Instruments just to the south, the history of Collins Radio, UTD, the Telecom Corridor and beyond. All at the same time Richardson is maintaining its values as a community. The integrated circuit, which is a seminal “ground zero” event of the information age, was invented less than 2 miles away from Heights Park.