[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 9, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1224-E1225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A SALUTE TO EUDORA PETTIGREW

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 1996

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Dr. L. Eudora 
Pettigrew, who has just completed 10 years of service as president of 
the State University of New York College of Old Westbury. Dr. Pettigrew 
has served with distinction as head of the State University of New 
York's most diverse and multicultural campus. During her long career in 
higher education, both as a faculty member and as an administrator, Dr. 
Pettigrew has earned the respect of students, faculty, and alumni. 
Prior to her stewardship of SUNY College of Old Westbury, President 
Pettigrew served as associate provost of the University of Delaware. 
During her outstanding career, she has also been associated with such 
distinguished institutions as Michigan State University, Southern 
Illinois University, and the University of Bridgeport.
  President Pettigrew received her doctor of philosophy degree and 
master's degree from Southern Illinois University. She holds a bachelor 
of arts degree from West Virginia State College.

[[Page E1225]]

  While fiscally the past decade has been a difficult one for almost 
all segments of our society, higher education--particularly public 
higher education--has endured painful budget reductions which continue 
to this day. Yet, President Pettigrew, through resourceful and 
courageous leadership, has successfully guided her campus through these 
very troubled times. And each spring, in a spectacular and very moving 
right of passage, SUNY Old Westbury holds a commencement ceremony 
unmatched on Long Island. Nearly 1,000 men and women of all ages, of 
remarkably different ethnic religious and racial backgrounds receive 
their diplomas from President Pettigrew. No where else on Long Island 
or in SUNY can one witness such a wonderful example of successfully 
bringing people from a broad spectrum of backgrounds together to learn 
from and with each other and, ultimately to succeed. Such wonderful 
diversity lies at the core of the success of the College at Old 
Westbury and President Pettigrew has played a major role in preserving 
the College at Old Westbury's very special and unique mission.
  International education has been a long-standing interest of Dr. 
Pettigrew. She has traveled worldwide to participate in conferences and 
symposia which involve discussions about the expansion of international 
education programs on campuses throughout the world. Recently she led a 
delegation of public university presidents from throughout the United 
States to the People's Republic of China. The chancellor of the State 
University of New York has appointed her chair of a special Commission 
on Africa with primary focus on South Africa. She recently led a 
delegation of SUNY officials to South Africa to explore the possibility 
of exchange programs with South African universities.
  Mr. Speaker, President L. Eudora Pettigrew is an extraordinary 
educator and dynamic leader who has contributed most significantly to 
the growth and development of the State University College at Old 
Westbury over the past decade. She is an educator extraordinaire and I 
am very pleased to publicly acknowledge her many works on behalf of the 
citizens of New York State. I call on my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in paying tribute to a dedicated educator 
and extraordinary humanitarian, Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew.

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