[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GEORGE JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 1996

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to bring the 
accomplishments of Dr. George W. Johnson, former president of George 
Mason University, to the attention of the House. After 18 years as 
GMU's fifth president, Dr. Johnson retired 1 month ago today. During 
Dr. Johnson's tenure as president, the university saw unprecedented 
growth and earned the respect of the Northern Virginia community in 
addition to national business and educational leaders.
  Named after the Father of the Bill of Rights and one of Virginia's 
delegates to our Nation's Constitutional Convention, George Mason 
University was founded in 1972 as the Commonwealth of Virginia's public 
4-year university in Northern Virginia.
  At the risk of excluding important events at GMU during the past 18 
years, I would like to point out a few highlights in which Dr. Johnson 
should take great pride. They include the addition of campuses in 
Arlington and Prince William counties and the opening of the George 
Mason University School of Law which was named as the ``Top Up and 
Coming'' law school in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report. Dr. 
James Buchanan, professor of economics, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 
1986 for his work in public choice economics. In addition, enrollment 
at GMU has more than doubled to over 24,000 in the past two decades.
  Datamation, a management magazine for computing professionals, 
recently cited George Mason's partnerships with Northern Virginia 
business among the Nation's best with Carnegie Mellon, Stanford 
University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University 
of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Rarely before has an 
educational institution forged a stronger relationship with businesses 
in the community. Together, George Mason and the high technology 
businesses of the region have constructed a world class educational and 
professional partnership.
  Evidence of Dr. Johnson's appreciation for diversity is the 
completion of a spectacular concert hall and fine arts center a stone's 
throw from George Mason's 10,000 seat Patriot Center where 
Washingtonians visit to attend concerts, sporting events, and shows. 
Co-located on the campus is the athletic field house which plays host 
to one of the world's annual premiere track and field events--the Mobil 
1 track meet. Over the past several years, the world's best track and 
field athletes have come to Mason and set world records.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to the accomplishments of Dr. Johnson, his 
wife Joanne's remarkable contribution to the arts and the Northern 
Virginia community should not be overlooked. Joanne Johnson has been 
active in organizations such as the Hospice of Northern Virginia, 
Woodlawn Plantation Council, Partners for Livable Communities, and the 
Learning in Retirement Institute.
  Together, Mr. Speaker, George and Joanne Johnson have left a legacy 
of dedication and commitment to education in our community for which 
Virginians will be forever grateful.

                          ____________________