[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SALUTE TO HAROLD HAZELIP

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to commend Harold 
Hazelip for an outstanding career. Hazelip has served as president of 
Lipscomb University since 1986 with dedication and a proactive sense of 
leadership. This spring he will retire, and the students, faculty and 
staff at Lipscomb University will miss him greatly. But as they look 
back on his years of service, they will find that the legacy he leaves 
behind is a strong foundation for education and the community.
  Since 1986, Lipscomb University has seen many changes. Enrollment has 
reached record highs at the university and at David Lipscomb Campus 
School for kindergarten through high school. Fundraising efforts are 
more productive than at any time in the university's 104-year history 
and alumni are giving more back to their school.
  When Harold Hazelip took the helm, Lipscomb University was called 
David Lipscomb College. Through hard work and a clear vision Hazelip 
helped the school implement a masters degree program to become 
accredited as a university by the Southern Association of Colleges. In 
addition to a variety of new programs, Hazelip has also been able to 
recruit some of the best professors from across the country. Today, 83 
percent of Lipscomb's faculty hold terminal degrees in their field, an 
increase from 63 percent when Hazelip started.
  During Hazelip's tenure, admissions standards were strengthened and 
the diversity of the student body increased. The campus grew, too, with 
the addition of a new library, a recreational gymnasium, and a 
campuswide fiber-optic network. Hazelip has eagerly combined 
technological innovation, student diversity, advanced education 
programs, and new instructional facilities to steer Lipscomb University 
toward a bright future.
  The most exciting legacy that Hazelip leaves behind is the growth and 
continued interest in mission work and youth ministry at Lipscomb 
University. This aspect of campus life is a true reflection of the 
dedication that Hazelip has for the university as well as his 
community. Harold Hazelip truly encompasses the ideals of community 
involvement and leadership. In today's tumultuous world, it is 
reassuring to see these ideals passed along.
  Mr. President, Harold Hazelip is not simply a university president, 
he is also a writer, a minister, a Chamber of Commerce member, and a 
leader in education. His commitment to each of these titles is 
reflected in the successes he has helped the people around him achieve. 
Hazelip's retirement from Lipscomb University challenges the university 
community to uphold the standards that he set and to move beyond those 
criterion to reach higher goals for the institution. Like any good 
teacher, Hazelip has given Lipscomb University the foundation to 
achieve success. It is now up to the university to build upon that 
foundation. Harold Hazelip has set Lipscomb University on the fast 
track to success, and I am confident that Lipscomb's future is very 
bright as a result. I thank Harold Hazelip for his dedication to 
education and his community, and I wish him well as he enters 
retirement.

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