[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A THANK YOU FROM WESTERN NEW YORK

                                 ______


                          HON. JOHN J. LaFALCE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 1995

  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, over 20 years ago Dr. Robert S. Marshall 
came to western New York to serve as president of Rosary Hill--an 
excellent small college with much to offer, but struggling financially 
and facing an uncertain future.
  Today the college is alive, well, and facing a future full of 
promise. In the 1970's, Rosary Hill College was renamed Daemen College; 
since then, the Daemen curriculum and enrollment have grown 
significantly. The physical therapy department, for example, is now one 
of the largest and best programs of its kind in the Nation.
  While the accomplishments of Dr. Marshall are described more fully 
below in the background material provided by Daemen College, let me, on 
behalf of the western New York community, thank Bob Marshall for all he 
has done for Daemen College, and offer him best wishes on his upcoming 
retirement.

                           Robert S. Marshall

       Daemen has made considerable strides towards becoming one 
     of the finest private colleges on the Niagara Frontier. This 
     is a remarkable statement, if you stop and consider that 
     there was a point not so very long ago when the College's 
     very survival was in question. In 1974 Daemen, then known as 
     Rosary Hill College, was at a crossroads. Changing times had 
     brought the College, then less than 30 years old, to the 
     brink of bankruptcy and an uncertain future. A new 
     direction--and new leadership--was needed.
       That year, Dr. Robert S. Marshall, then associate director 
     for academic affairs at the Division of Biological Sciences 
     at Cornell University, was chosen as the next president of 
     the College. Bringing new vision and a fresh perspective, his 
     challenge was to place Rosary Hill on sound financial 
     footing, building a solid academic program for the future. It 
     was a challenge he would vigorously embrace--and surpass--to 
     the benefit of the entire Daemen College community.
       Originally a Roman Catholic, women's college, Rosary Hill 
     became co-ed in the 1960's, and began to evolve in a new 
     direction. In order to reflect this, the College adopted a 
     new name. It was a dramatic change, certainly; there were 
     many more to come. One of Dr. Marshall's first--and most 
     significant--accomplishments was providing the leadership 
     necessary to guide and focus these changes.
       Perhaps the most immediate need of the College at that time 
     was to increase operating funds--and ensure the doors of the 
     institution remained open. Over the next few years, through 
     sound management practices, effective cost-containment, and 
     aggressive development efforts, Daemen College turned a 
     corner. Major fund raising campaigns reached--and surpassed--
     their goals, resulting in increased resources. Additional 
     academic programs, faculty development, and a center for 
     professional development were among the benefits of a $2.2 
     million grant, received in 1982, from the U.S. Department of 
     Education.
       These financial successes supported Daemen's academic 
     programs. One of the most significant was the establishment 
     of the physical therapy major in 1975. A confluence of 
     heightened emphasis on physical fitness, a rapidly growing 
     elderly population, and increasing interest in the emerging 
     field of sports medicine have combined to make physical 
     therapy one of the fastest-growing professions in the health 
     field today. Thanks to Dr. Marshall's foresight, the Physical 
     Therapy Department of Daemen quickly became a pace setter. 
     Through new courses, equipment, and first-rate instructors, 
     today it is one of the largest, and best, programs of its 
     kind in the nation.
       Dr. Marshall's vision for Daemen didn't stop there. In 
     1979, the College received authorization from the New York 
     Board of Regents to offer a bachelor of science degree in 
     nursing. The program was the first in Western New York to 
     offer the degree to registered nurses, who, having studied in 
     two or three year programs, decided to return to school to 
     pursue their bachelor's degree.
       To help implement the new program, the College received a 
     grant of $110,000 from the Department of Health, Education, 
     and Welfare. Because of its uniqueness, Daemen's bachelor of 
     science in nursing has joined the College physical therapy 
     program in garnering national attention. Since 1987, 
     enrollment in the nursing program has increased by more than 
     350 percent.
       Enrollment increases for the entire College over the last 
     two decades are equally impressive. Since the beginning of 
     Dr. Marshall's tenure as president--and during a time of 
     decreasing college and university enrollments nationwide--the 
     number of students attending Daemen College has steadily 
     increased, to today's all-time high of more than 2000.
       Dr. Marshall realized that no college or university can 
     progress without a first-rate faculty. Thus, he provided 
     Daemen students the benefit of instruction from a quality 
     faculty from schools such as Harvard, Oxford, the 
     University of Notre Dame, Columbia University, the 
     University of California at Berkeley, and the University 
     of Chicago, to name but a few.
       Increasing enrollments create a need for expansion. 
     Accordingly, Dr. Marshall's tenure has included significant 
     additions to Daemen's attractive campus. In 1983, ground was 
     broken for a long-awaited College athletic facility. The 
     prominent brick structure, smoothly integrated into the 
     profile of Duns Scotus Hall, is the center for College 
     athletics, and home to the men's and women's basketball 
     teams. Easily viewable from a busy section of Main Street, it 
     has become one of the most prominent, and familiar features 
     of the College.
       The state-of-the-art science building, Schenck Hall, is 
     another notable addition to the campus. Completed in 1992, 
     the two-story structure houses the latest in a variety of 
     laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, a 300-seat lecture 
     hall, student study lounge, and other facilities.
       Another sign of development due to Dr. Marshall's 
     leadership is Daemen's post-licensure master of science 
     degree in Physical Therapy. The M.S. is specifically designed 
     to provide licensed physical therapists with the much needed 
     opportunity to acquire in-depth training and upgrade their 
     skills. It is the first master's program to be offered at the 
     College.
       The future holds promise, as well. Programs in Daemen's 
     Business and Commerce Division will be expanded, and housed 
     in a new, state-of-the-art building, that has just been 
     completed. New academic initiatives, such as the physician's 
     assistant program, and the environmental studies major, are 
     underway. Applications for admissions into several programs 
     are at record levels. In short, the state of the College is 
     sound. Daemen faced many challenges over the last two 
     decades, and Dr. Marshall met each of them with sound 
     judgement and vision.
       We have much to be proud of at Daemen. Over the years, the 
     College has demonstrated a special ability to integrate the 
     resources of higher education with the needs of the 
     community. Through the last two decades, Robert Marshall has 
     provided the vision and leadership necessary for this 
     institution's continued success. Tonight, pausing to look 
     back, we take note of his many accomplishments, and express 
     our appreciation to him for a job well done.

                          ____________________