[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 24 (Friday, February 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1794-S1795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF SHEPHERD COLLEGE

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, from a practical standpoint, education is 
fundamental to a society interested in securing a better future for 
generations to come. But, on a more personal level, I can think of few 
things in life that provide for the kinds of pleasure, growth, and 
sense of self-worth as does the acquiring of an education.
  Today, I wish to pay tribute to a long-standing pillar of education 
in West Virginia--Shepherd College. Shepherd College, in Jefferson 
County, was founded 125 years ago yesterday.
  This school, which is located in West Virginia's oldest town, is 
proof that we can preserve our heritage and traditions at the same time 
we are preparing ourselves for the challenges of tomorrow. With its 
roots firmly planted in history, Shepherd College continues to evolve 
and prepare for the challenges of the new millennium.
  Shepherd College first opened in September 1871, as a private school 
in a single building that had previously served as the Jefferson County 
Courthouse, and today bears the name McMurran Hall, in honor of 
Shepherd College's first principal, Joseph McMurran. McMurran and two 
assistant professors were hired that year to teach the 42 students who 
were instructed ``in languages, arts and sciences.''
  On February 27, 1872, the West Virginia Legislature passed an act 
establishing Shepherd College as a four-year school, dedicated to the 
training of teachers, and accredited to bestow the Bachelor of Arts 
degree. A liberal arts program was approved in 1943, and in 1950, the 
Bachelor of Science degree was added.
  Today, Shepherd College, part of the State College System of West 
Virginia, boasts 3,700 students who are enrolled in 80 different fields 
of study.
  In recent years, more than a dozen new buildings have been added to 
the campus. I am proud to have played a role in that growth by adding 
funds to federal appropriations bills for the school's new Science and 
Technology Center. The new Center is intended to help prepare students 
in fields such as computer science, environmental science, biology, and 
chemistry--areas of education which are critical to the future ability 
of our nation to compete

[[Page S1795]]

in the global market place, and in which our country, sadly, is lagging 
behind other industrialized nations. This facility will also provide 
working partnerships with the many federal facilities located in the 
Eastern Panhandle, helping area residents to develop careers in high-
tech fields, and, in turn, helping West Virginia and the nation to 
achieve a more prosperous future.
  At noon yesterday, Shepherdstown echoed with the sounds of bells, 
pealing in honor of the school's 125-year commitment to education, a 
fitting tribute to its founders.
  Along with my fellow West Virginians, I wish Shepherd College a happy 
125th birthday.

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