[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 1999

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure 
to stand before you today to honor an institution of higher learning 
that is currently enjoying its 50th year of academic excellence.
  Coahoma Community College, nestled in Clarksdale, Mississippi, was 
established on June 8, 1949, by the Board of Trustees of Coahoma County 
agricultural High School. Back then, they got together to discuss 
adding a freshman year of college to the high school as provided by a 
special act of the state legislature. At the same time, they changed 
the name of the school to Coahoma Junior College and Agricultural High 
School which now stands as Coahoma Community College.
  Coahoma Community College started out as a college where African-
American students could pursue their dreams of obtaining a college 
education when no other opportunities were available to them. Today, 
they strive to meet the dreams of every student, adult and 
businessperson who has a desire to improve his or her place in life.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to add that Coahoma Community College 
is just that . . . a college for the community. It has definitely come 
a long way since 1949. With the additions of the Skill/Tech Industrial 
Training Center and other programs, Coahoma works with businesses and 
industrial plants offering start-up training, employee and skills 
enhancement training and health and safety training. Through its 
academic, vo-tech and skill/tech classes, the college offers a variety 
of non-credit courses designed to enhance the quality of life in the 
community as well as increase a person's skills in lifelong learning.
  From a college that gave blacks an opportunity to attain a college 
education to providing the community with diverse centers for learning, 
Coahoma Community College continues to fulfill its original mission of 
providing opportunities for advancement for the people it serves.

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