[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4108-S4110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Lott, Mr. Shelby, 
        Mr. Cochran, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Coverdell, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. 
        Helms, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Inhofe, and Mrs. Hutchison):
  S. 2581. A bill to provide for the preservation and restoration of 
historic buildings at historically women's public colleges or 
universities; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


historically women's public colleges or universities historic building 
                    restoration and preservation act

 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce 
legislation to help preserve the heritage of historic women's colleges 
and universities. The United States is presently at mid-point in 
observing the centennial of the creation of seven unique educational 
institutions.
  There were seven historic women's public colleges or universities 
founded in the United States between 1884 and 1908 to provide 
industrial education for women. They include: the University of 
Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama; the Mississippi University for Women 
in Columbus, Mississippi; the Georgia College and State University in 
Milledgeville, Georgia; the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; 
Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina; the Texas Woman's 
University in Denton, Texas; and the University of Science and Arts of 
Oklahoma, in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
  These seven public universities all were originally created to 
provide industrial and vocational education for women who at the time 
could not attend other public academic institutions. Following the 
industrial revolution, the United States found it desirable to promote 
agricultural, mechanical, and industrial education. Unfortunately, in 
seven States, the public agricultural and mechanical institutions

[[Page S4109]]

created during this period were closed to women. A number of 
educational advocates for women, notably Miss Julia Tutwiler, a native 
of Alabama, had learned extensively about European industrial and 
vocational education and tirelessly advocated the creation of 
industrial and technical educational opportunities for women. In these 
States, through major and extended efforts by women like Miss Tutwiler 
and by agrarian organizations, separate public educational institutions 
were created by the respective State legislatures to provide industrial 
and technical education for women. These schools subsequently became 
coeducational but retain significant historical and academic features 
of those pioneering efforts to educate women.
  Currently these public institutions have critical capital needs 
related to their historic educational structures. Under this 
legislation, each school would receive $2 million in federal matching 
funding each year of the fiscal years 2001-2005. These funds, along 
with school funds, would be used for the preservation and restoration 
of historic buildings at these colleges and universities.
  These historically women's public colleges and universities have 
contributed significantly to the effort to attain equal opportunity 
through postsecondary education for women, low-income individuals, and 
educationally disadvantaged Americans. I believe it is our duty to do 
all we can to preserve these historic institutions and I ask my 
colleagues for their support.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2581

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Historically Women's Public 
     Colleges or Universities Historic Building Restoration and 
     Preservation Act''.

     SEC. 2. PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION GRANTS FOR HISTORIC 
                   BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES AT HISTORICALLY 
                   WOMEN'S PUBLIC COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.

       (a) Authority To Make Grants.--
       (1) In general.--From amounts made available under 
     paragraph (2), the Secretary of Interior (referred to in this 
     Act as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants in accordance 
     with this section to historically women's public colleges or 
     universities (defined as public institutions of higher 
     learning as established in the United States between 1884 and 
     1908 to provide industrial education for women) for the 
     preservation and restoration of historic buildings and 
     structures on their campuses.
       (2) Source of funding.--Grants under paragraph (1) shall be 
     awarded from amounts appropriated to carry out the National 
     Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) for fiscal 
     years 2001 through 2005.
       (b) Grant Conditions.--Grants made under subsection (a) 
     shall be subject to the condition that the grantee agree, for 
     the period of time specified by the Secretary, that--
       (1) no alteration will be made in the property with respect 
     to which the grant is made without the concurrence of the 
     Secretary; and
       (2) reasonable public access to the property for which the 
     grant is made will be permitted by the grantee for 
     interpretive and educational purposes.
       (c) Matching Requirement.--Except as provided by paragraph 
     (2), the Secretary may obligate funds made available under 
     this section for a grant only if the grantee agrees to 
     provide for activities under the grant, from funds derived 
     from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 20 percent of 
     the costs of the program to be funded under the grant with 
     the Secretary providing 80 percent of such costs under the 
     grant.
       (d) Funding Provisions.--
       (1) Amounts to be made available.--Not more than 
     $14,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005 
     may be made available under this section.
       (2) Allocations for fiscal year 2001.--
       (A) In general.--Of the amounts made available under this 
     section for fiscal year 2001--
       (i) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to Mississippi University for Women in 
     Columbus, Mississippi;
       (ii) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to Georgia College and State University in 
     Milledgeville, Georgia;
       (iii) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to the University of North Carolina at 
     Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina;
       (iv) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South 
     Carolina;
       (v) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, 
     Alabama;
       (vi) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to the Texas Woman's University in Denton, 
     Texas; and
       (vii) $2,000,000 shall be available only for grants under 
     subsection (a) to the University of Science and Arts of 
     Oklahoma in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
       (B) Less than $14,000,000 available.--If less than 
     $14,000,000 is made available under this section for fiscal 
     year 2001, then the amount made available to each of the 7 
     institutions under subparagraph (A) shall be reduced by a 
     uniform percentage.
       (3) Allocations for fiscal years 2002-2005.--Any funds 
     which are made available during fiscal years 2002 through 
     2005 under subsection (a)(2) shall be distributed by the 
     Secretary in accordance with the provisions of subparagraphs 
     (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) to those grantees named in 
     paragraph (2)(A) which remain eligible and desire to 
     participate, on a uniform basis, in such fiscal years.
       (e) Regulations.--The Secretary shall promulgate such 
     regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act.
 Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, forty-six years ago today, the 
U.S. Supreme Court in its Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka 
decision overturned an 1896 ruling that education should be ``separate 
but equal'' thus outlawing racial segregation in the state school 
system. It is important to note that when the ``separate but equal'' 
ruling first went into effect in 1896, there were very few colleges and 
universities that women could attend. This means that ``separate but 
equal'' meant for men only.
  Some forty-one years before colleges like the Georgia College and 
State University was founded in 1889, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an 
eminent women's rights leader, drafted a Declaration of Sentiments that 
pointed to other areas of life where American women were not treated 
equally. Some of the facts at that time were:
  Women were not allowed to vote;
  Women had to submit to laws they had no voice in formulating;
  Married women had no property rights;
  Divorce and child custody laws favored men, giving no rights to 
women;
  Most occupations were closed to women, including medicine and law; 
and
  Women had no means to gain an education since no college or 
university would accept women students.
  Through the efforts of Ms. Stanton and others, colleges and 
universities began to be established with the mission of preparing the 
women of our nation to become self-sufficient by affording them an 
opportunity for an education. Today, many of these colleges and 
universities are continuing to provide educational opportunities to 
women to enable them to continue making significant contributions to 
our country by becoming writers, educators, scientists, heads of state, 
politicians, civil rights crusaders, artists, entertainers, and 
business leaders. However, some of the historic buildings that were 
built between 1884 and 1908 as institutions of higher learning for 
women are beginning to crumble and decay.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of legislation introduced today by 
Senator Sessions which was crafted to allow the preservation and 
restoration of treasured historic school buildings. The legislation 
will provide seven colleges and universities with $10 million each for 
five years to help ensure that some historically significant buildings 
that were built between 1884 and 1908 at women's public colleges and 
universities continue to serve as national symbols of women's early 
civil rights and as important monuments to the power that knowledge has 
brought to America's women. I'd like to note that the amounts needed to 
fully rejuvenate the buildings to their former glory is far greater 
than those provided by this legislation.
  The list of institutions that need this assistance is quite 
impressive. One of the seven universities included in this bill is the 
Georgia College and State University which is located in Georgia's 
antebellum capital, Milledgeville. The University was chartered in 1889 
as the Georgia Normal and Industrial College and its early emphasis was 
on preparing young women for teaching or industrial careers. From the 
beginning of this prestigious school, the jewels of the university 
campus have been the former State Governor's mansion and the old 
Baldwin County Court House. General Sherman, while occupying the

[[Page S4110]]

city of Milledgeville, slept in the mansion and refused to allow it to 
be burned because he was so impressed with its stateliness. The stately 
court house and former Governor's mansion, while continuing to be used 
by the university, are in dire need of repair. The $10 million included 
in the bill for the Georgia College and State University will go a long 
way toward helping to pay the estimated $27 million repair cost for 
these, and other treasured campus buildings.
  Today the Georgia College and State University's enrollment has grown 
to an impressive 5,200 students. The institution is now offering more 
than 65 baccalaureate and 35 graduate degree programs and awards more 
than 1,100 degrees annually, of which 300 are graduate degrees.
  It seems that we are living in a disposable world. We have disposable 
towels, disposable cameras, and disposable contact lenses. Let us not 
dispose of these buildings or the history they represent. I believe 
that the college and university campus buildings that are to be 
preserved and restored by this legislation will continue to serve our 
nation well by continuing to provide quality education for the leaders 
of tomorrow.
                                 ______