[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2874-S2875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF DR. JOHN B. BEGLEY

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor today to pay 
tribute to a man who simply could not have worked any harder on behalf 
of the Kentucky college he has represented for the past 20 years.
  A native of Harrodsburg, KY, Dr. John Begley returned to Kentucky in 
1977 as head of Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia. It's hard to 
believe that the school John leaves today is the same one he came to 20 
years ago.
  Back then, Lindsey was just another struggling junior college. Today, 
it's the fastest growing liberal arts college in Kentucky. Back then, 
enrollment hovered around 222 students. Today, 1,372 students look to 
Lindsey for the tools to shape their futures. Back then, the school 
operated on a $600,000 a year budget and took in no more than $50,000 a 
year in donations. Today, Lindsey has a $14 million budget, pulls in 
$1.3 million annually in donations and raised $18 million in a 5-year 
capital campaign.
  But perhaps most remarkable is that under John's leadership, the 
college has in no way sacrificed quality. Instead, they have strived 
for, and by all accounts achieved excellence.
  In addition to 15 baccalaureate majors, the college instituted a 
masters in counseling and human development. Within just 2 years, the 
accrediting arm of the American Counseling Association ranked the 
masters program as one of the top 12 counseling programs in the Nation.

[[Page S2875]]

  In an area of the State struggling for economic advancement, John 
made sure the college met the unique needs of Appalachian families. 
That meant making sure the college was readily accessible to area 
residents looking for the resources they needed to better their lives. 
With eight satellite branches, south central Kentuckians of all ages 
and from all walks of life can take advantage of the educational and 
job training opportunities at Lindsey.
  In addition to academic excellence and steady financial growth, John 
always looked toward improving the quality of student life. One way he 
did that was through athletics. With 14 athletic teams and a men's 
soccer team that has won back to back NAIA national championships--the 
first Kentucky college to do so in 45 years--the college has struck an 
important balance between excellence in academics and student life.
  Clearly, John's successes came with the help of hundreds of hard 
working colleagues, a community receptive to the college's needs, and a 
student body that took pride in their college's successes. But there 
can be no doubt that John's leadership pulled those forces together and 
created something really wonderful--something all Kentuckians can look 
on with pride.
  Mr. President, I know I am not alone in wanting to thank John for 
leaving the college not only with a firm foundation from which to keep 
building, but a standard of excellence that will serve generations of 
students and faculty for years to come.

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