[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 188 (Tuesday, November 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MARY DAGRAEDT

                                 ______


                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 28, 1995

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply heartened by this 
great moment as I pay tribute to a colleague of mine, Mary Dagraedt, 
who is retiring from Miami-Dade Community College after a 35-year 
distinguished career. As the premier golf coach, Mary is one of the 
most outstanding professionals who have immensely contributed to making 
the college the Nation's most prestigious community college in the 
fields of both academics and athletics.
  Mary led the Lady Falconettes College golf teams from 1963 to 1981 
during which her teams went undefeated in match plays in junior 
intercollegiate competitions. In fact, she was instrumental in 
garnering 18 consecutive junior college State championships. From 1970 
to 1977 the Falconettes competed in the senior college national 
collegiate events, and in 1975 her team was honored the No. 1 
collegiate team in the Nation.
  Voted in 1981, the first National Coach of the Year by the Ladies 
Professional Golf Association, Mary was also selected as the National 
Junior College Athletic Association Women's Golf Coach of the Year in 
1980 and 1981. Throughout her career, she has been named to five 
different sports hall of fame.
  More than 60 of her students, including Pat Bradley, have now become 
the mainstays of the LPGA. Her commonsense approach to personal 
responsibility and discipline has earned her the utmost respect of her 
hundreds of students and the praise of her colleagues.
  In fact, she was recently recognized with an endowed teaching chair 
for faculty excellence by the college and was subsequently honored this 
year as 1 of 10 faculty members by the National Institute for Staff and 
Organization Development at a ceremony in Texas for achieving 
preeminent ``educational excellence and superior leadership.''

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