[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   KING'S COLLEGE JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______


                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 30, 1996

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to King's 
College, a distinguished institution of higher learning in my district 
in Pennsylvania. This week, King's will celebrate its Jubilee 
Anniversary, and I am pleased to be able to participate in this event.
  King's College is fortunate to have as its president, Father James 
Lackenmier, C.S.C., who has demonstrated tremendous leadership during 
his tenure as president of King's. He has motivated both students and 
facility members to participate in the activities of King's College and 
the surrounding community. He has driven his colleagues and students to 
always strive for the highest level of success, with special attention 
to an agenda he initiated for the college, ``Emphasis on Excellence.''
  As early as 1938, Bishop William J. Hafey had a vision of a Catholic 
college in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The college would afford Catholics in the 
Wyoming Valley a chance for higher education. The Bishop postponed his 
dream while the depression lingered and the United States prepared for 
the Second World War. In 1944, when the war began to wind down, the 
Bishop took the steps to make his dream for a Catholic college a 
reality and contacted the Holy Cross Fathers at the University of Notre 
Dame. The Fathers were invited to open a sister school in Wilkes-Barre. 
Soon after his proposal was made, Bishop Hafey received word that the 
Holy Cross Fathers were interested in the idea.
  Father John Cavanaugh, C.S.C. was sent from Notre Dame to discuss the 
details with Bishop Hafey. Shortly thereafter, Bishop Hafey traveled to 
New York to meet with Father Albert Cousineau, C.S.C., the Superior 
General of the Congregation of the Holy Cross to seek his sanctions of 
the plans. In March of 1945, Bishop Hafey got word that the Holy Cross 
Fathers accepted his invitation to establish King's College, the name 
chosen to honor Christ the King.
  On April 20, 1945, The Catholic Light newsletter headline read 
``College for Men to be Opened in Wilkes-Barre.'' The opening date of 
the college depended on the ``conclusion of the war'' and ``the ability 
to obtain priorities for the necessary renovations which must be made 
in the temporary home for King's College.'' Bishop Hafey had 
expectations that the many returning servicemen would use the G.I. Bill 
of Rights to enroll in college upon returning from the war.
  Father James W. Connerton, C.S.C. arrived in Wilkes-Barre from the 
University of Notre Dame with $200 in expense money and instructions to 
buy a typewriter and start the college. Until the faculty residence 
became available the following August, Father Connerton resided in St. 
Mary's Rectory as the guest of Bishop O'Connor.
  Mr. Speaker, the early days of King's College were spent untying the 
administrative red tape, and obtaining the incorporation papers through 
the courts. Between May and September of 1946, 306 applicants were 
accepted for admission out of more than 500 young men. Most were newly 
discharged veterans just as Bishop Hafey had hoped. The faculty began 
to arrive in Wilkes-Barre. King's College became a reality.
  A beaming Bishop Hafey celebrated the solemn opening mass. At the end 
of the liturgy the bishop spoke the words which have become the 
cornerstone of the beginnings of King's College.

       The day when a seed planted is a day rooted in hope . . . 
     this day the seed of a new college is planted in the soil of 
     Luzerne County in the State of Pennsylvania. One hundred 
     years from this day the unborn hundreds, perhaps thousands, 
     will gather to recall historically its beginnings, to recount 
     its growth, and especially to estimate its fruit, its worth 
     to the community of human beings living here their temporal 
     lives in preparation for life eternal; its service to God, to 
     country and immortal souls.

  Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to estimate the value of King's College 
to the Wyoming Valley, King's has overcome 50 years of social and 
economic change. In 1972, when the Susquehanna River spilled its banks 
and inundated the Wyoming Valley, King's was among the hardest hit. The 
college survived the social changes of the turbulent 1960's and women 
became a familiar sight on campus. From its humble beginnings to a 15-
acre campus which includes the College of Arts and Sciences and the 
McGowan School of Business, King's has been recognized by Barron's Best 
Buys in Higher Education and U.S. News and World Report.
  Mr. Speaker, the Wyoming Valley and Wilkes-Barre are indeed fortunate 
that Bishop Hafey realized his dream some 50 years ago. I salute King's 
College and praise my friend Father Lackenmier for all his leadership. 
I wish all the best and much continued prosperity for the King's 
College, its students, and its graduates.

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