[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2307-S2308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                               BUTTE, MT

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, my statement today is the second in a 
series on Butte, MT, and the attractions it offers the Micron 
semiconductor company. I would like to focus today on Butte's top-notch 
higher education facilities, particularly in technical fields.
  Foremost among these is Montana Tech. Under the dynamic leadership of 
Montana Tech president, Lindsay Norman, Montana Tech has grown and 
developed into one of the best small engineering and science schools in 
the country.
  A former vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, Mr. 
Norman really understands business, and has made it his mission to 
ensure that Montana Tech's programs reflect the needs of the private 
sector.
  As I pointed out yesterday, a recent survey of college presidents 
voted Montana Tech the best small college science program in the United 
States--the best, No. 1. Other surveys show that this is no fluke. 
Money Guide magazine rated Montana Tech one of the top 15 best buys in 
college education in the southwest and mountain States. And last year, 
U.S. News & World Report ranked Montana Tech the No. 1 educational 
value among western regional universities.
  Let me repeat. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Montana Tech the 
No. 1 educational value among western regional universities.
  Established in 1895 as the Montana School of Mines, Montana Tech 
historically focused on mineral and energy-related engineering 
programs. It now offers undergraduate and graduate programs in a 
multitude of science and engineering disciplines, including computer 
science, environmental engineering, hydrogeological engineering, and 
mathematics.
  Montana Tech also offers a broad range of courses in the humanities 
and social sciences. In addition, the college has an active continuing 
education program which offers night courses for adults.
  [[Page S2308]] The university has said that it would work closely 
with Micron to make sure class offerings not only meet the educational 
needs of Micron's employees but convene at appropriate times for 
Micron's work force.
  Altogether, Montana Tech offers Micron a top-quality source of new 
recruits, and the perfect place to ensure that existing employees are 
able to upgrade their technical and computer skills.
  Also located in Butte is the Butte Division of Technology, whose 41-
acre site offers occupational training. Its strength is its ability to 
meet immediate and short-term training needs of regional industry and 
businesses, as well as to constantly update and revise its courses of 
instruction in order to meet changing market demands.
  Finally, of course, Butte's educational resources are not limited to 
Butte-Silver Bow County. The city is strategically located at the 
center of the southwestern Montana technology corridor at the 
intersection of Interstates 90 and 15.
  Thus, in addition to Montana Tech and the Division of Technology, 
Micron employees would have easy access to Montana State University at 
Bozeman [MSU], Carroll College in Helena, and the University of Montana 
at Missoula. These institutions together have combined research and 
engineering programs that exceed $49 million a year.
  Education has always been a top priority for Montanans. As Michael 
Malone, the president of Montana State University and the dean of 
Montana historical scholars, writes, as early as 1900 our State boasted 
one of the Nation's highest literacy rates.
  Our earliest State education laws paid special attention to technical 
and scientific fields. That commitment continues today in top-quality 
institutions like Montana Tech. And it is a perfect fit for a company 
like Micron.
  If I might, Mr. President, it is interesting to make another 
observation. Last year, the senior Senator from New York [Mr. Moynihan] 
presented in the Democratic Caucus two charts. One chart listed the per 
capita State expenditure for elementary and secondary education, ranked 
with the most expensive on down to the least expensive. That is, the 
top States spend more dollars per pupil in elementary and secondary 
education on down to the States that spend the fewest number of dollars 
per pupil.
  Next to that was another chart. It ranked, in descending order, 
States whose elementary and secondary students do best in mathematics, 
the best States being at the top, the worst States down at the bottom. 
Senator Moynihan put the charts side by side and asked a very pertinent 
question: What on Earth could one deduce by looking at these two 
charts? One is that there is no correlation, zero correlation, between 
the number of dollars spent per pupil on the one hand, and how 
elementary and secondary students ranked in mathematics performance on 
the other.
  Finally, the Senator pointed out, in a way only he can, combinations, 
and in seeing linkages that others do not see, he said that one can 
draw only one conclusion by comparing the two charts and, that is, if 
you want your kids to have the best math education, either live in 
Montana or live in the State adjoining Montana, because the States that 
have the highest rankings of mathematics are the States of Montana, the 
Dakotas, and Wyoming.
  I mention this to point out the commitment the State of Montana gives 
to education in general, and particularly the commitment Butte gives to 
its people, Montana Tech and related universities, so that Micron will 
do very well if it comes to Butte. Butte wants Micron and will make any 
necessary adjustments to tailor its operations to Micron.
  This is the second in a series of statements I will make. I will make 
another speech regarding the ties between Micron and Butte on Monday.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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