[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 8, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, a century ago, a college was opened in the 
city of Bluefield, West Virginia. For the past 100 years, Bluefield 
State College and its antecedents have performed an outstanding service 
in providing a reasonably priced and quality education for thousands of 
students from Southern West Virginia, Southwestern Virginia, and other 
States throughout our country as well as many foreign nations. Today, I 
join the alumni, students, the faculty, parents, and admirers of 
Bluefield State in hailing its 100th anniversary as a premier 
institution of higher education--an institution oriented toward, and 
dedicated to, the preparation of men and women of widely separated age 
groups for quality careers in health care, education, business, and 
other important occupations.
  Following its inception a century ago, Bluefield State College 
quickly gained acclaim as one of the country's outstanding 
traditionally black colleges. Bluefield State has built upon its early 
strengths and has become a major center of practical education in 
Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia. The college is a 
fully accredited coeducational institution offering a variety of 
programs at the associate and baccalaureate degree levels and provides 
ready educational opportunities to people impacted by the declining 
coalfields.
  Bluefield State College attracts students from a broad segment of the 
population and helps make the American Dream real for many of them. 
This institution attracts large numbers of adult students with its 
extensive evening program, and it provides reasonably priced education 
with quality standards and quality outcomes, with an emphasis on 
preparing its students for a solid future.
  Created to provide better educational services for black Americans in 
the area, the college later expanded its regional influence by 
enhancing its curriculum to provide formal teacher training. In the 
ensuing years, to keep up with the ever-changing job market, new 
academic areas such as engineering technology, computer science, 
business administration, and health science were added to the 
curriculum.
  I particularly salute Dr. Robert Moore for the outstanding leadership 
that he has provided to this educational institution in my home State, 
and I congratulate the faculty and staff of Bluefield State for the 
professional and caring fashion in which they teach and guide their 
students. In those areas served by graduates of Bluefield State 
College, the reputation of the graduates of this school is one of 
growing admiration and esteem--hallmarks of the well-grounded and 
pragmatic performances being rendered by the alumni of Bluefield State 
College.
  Too often, unfortunately, colleges and universities set themselves 
above the needs of the communities and the students whom they were 
instituted to serve. The growing favor that is developing for Bluefield 
State College throughout its service area is an indication that 
Bluefield State has not fallen into the trap of academic pride. Rather, 
Bluefield State has dedicated itself to preparing industrious men and 
women to play productive and profitable roles in whatever walks of 
American life they enter, and to contribute patriotically and 
unselfishly to the upbuilding, both economically and morally, of the 
cities, towns, counties, and States in which those graduates find 
themselves.
  Again, Mr. President, I congratulate Bluefield State College, 
Bluefield, WV, as it celebrates its centennial year, and I know that I 
speak for citizens throughout Southern West Virginia and Southwestern 
Virginia in expressing my admiration for this institution of higher 
education and my appreciation for all that it has come to mean to the 
people of the Southern Appalachian Highlands. Since its founding in 
1895, this fine institution has flourished, and I hope that the next 
100 years will prove to be as prosperous and as beneficial.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise with Senator Byrd today to 
recognize Bluefield State College as it celebrates its centennial.
  Since its founding in 1895, Bluefield State College has been 
committed to providing quality education in southern West Virginia. 
These many years are a heroic story of hard-won and remarkable 
achievement, truly an inspiring legacy.
  Founded to improve education for African-American students in the 
region, the college began as the Bluefield Colored Institute [BCI]. It 
served the segregated schools of turn-of-the-century coal camps. 
Through the dedication of local citizens and its first president, 
Hamilton Hatter, BCI flourished, even operating for 2 years without 
State funds.
  As time went on, the school established formal teacher instructions. 
By 1954, Bluefield became an integrated school serving all students in 
southern West Virginia.
  Over the years, the school has worked to strengthen the institution 
and to expand its curricula to serve the changing needs of its 
students. Recent efforts include expanding Bluefield State College's 
degree program into areas including engineering technology, computer 
science, business administration, and the health sciences. These new 
fields of studies are designed to prepare the students of today for the 
challenges of the 21st century.
  Mr. President, as Bluefield State College celebrates its centennial, 
Senator Byrd and I think it is fitting to praise its dedicated faculty 
and staff, including current President Robert Moore, for their 
educational vision and creative spirit.
  Bluefield State College, proud of its strong past, stands ready to 
meet the changing needs of an expanding and dynamic region of the 
State. It has done an exemplary job of offering educational 
opportunities to many students in southern West Virginia. We join every 
West Virginian in congratulating Bluefield State College for 100 years 
of dedicated education and community leadership. We wish it continued 
success for the next century. This fine institution has made all of us 
very proud.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Abraham). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. 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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