III 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 329 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 24, 2007 Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Obama) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Congratulating Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Whereas Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a year-long celebration, beginning September 24, 2007; Whereas SIUE has grown from 1,776 students to nearly 13,500 students from 101 Illinois counties, 43 other States, and 46 Nations; Whereas SIUE has conferred more than 90,000 degrees in its history and has more than 75,000 alumni; Whereas the SIUE School of Dental Medicine is rated among the top dental schools in the Nation and provides more than $50,000 in free oral health care to children annually through Give Kids a Smile Day; Whereas the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals in East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities; Whereas the University finished 4th nationally in the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II schools in 2006; Whereas SIUE contributes roughly $356,000,000 to the regional economy, and more than 37,000 alumni live in the region and contribute to the economy; Whereas SIUE is the home of University Park, an applied research and technology park located on the SIUE campus that is home to the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center and the Biotechnology Laboratory Incubator: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate congratulates Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) on its 50th anniversary, and wishes SIUE success in its continued service to the Nation as a center of educational advancement in Southern Illinois.