[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 88 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S6466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    RETIREMENT OF PETER J. LIACOURAS

 Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a dear 
friend who retired after an outstanding tenure at one of our great 
public research universities. On June 30, 2000, Peter J. Liacouras 
stepped down as President of Temple University in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania after eighteen years of service in this capacity.
  A Temple professor of Law for almost 40 years and a former Dean of 
Temple University's Beasley School of Law, Mr. Liacouras served as the 
University's chief executive since June of 1982. Under his leadership, 
Temple University achieved national and international prominence as a 
center for research, teaching, and public service.
  With vision and confidence, he presided over a university with nearly 
29,000 students; a world-class faculty; 16,000 full-time and part-time 
employees; a renowned Health Sciences Center, the Temple University 
Health System, Inc., with seven hospitals and two nursing homes; 
210,000 proud graduates throughout the world; an annual budget of more 
than $1 billion; successful, long-established campuses in Rome, Italy, 
and Tokyo, Japan; and educational programs in Great Britain, France, 
Jamaica, Greece, Israel, Ghana, the People's Republic of China, and 
other nations.
  Throughout his career at Temple, Mr. Liacouras worked vigorously and 
tirelessly in the pursuit of excellence. The bedrock of his 
administration was a commitment to improving undergraduate, graduate, 
and professional education within his institution, and he restructured 
Temple's schools and colleges to meet the needs of students and the 
world they enter after graduation.
  He was an advocate of opening colleges and universities to persons 
from historically underrepresented groups--an effort which led to 
Temple becoming the first university to receive the U.S. Labor 
Department's coveted Exemplary Voluntary Effort (EVE) Award. As Dean of 
the Law School, this son of Greek immigrants earned national 
recognition for developing fair and sensible admissions policies for 
professional schools.
  President Liacouras was also a leader in bringing change to his 
University and anticipating even greater change in the future. His 
``Report to the Board of Trustees on Strategic Initiatives'' helped 
Temple reposition itself in a radically changing environment for higher 
education. With his direction, the University launched Virtual Temple, 
a for-profit subsidiary to market courses on the Internet.
  He dramatically improved his university's town-gown relationship with 
its surrounding communities. While strengthening Temple's overseas 
educational programs, he led the way for the University and the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to invest in the University's Main Campus, 
with such projects as the Temple University Children's Medical Center, 
The Liacouras Center, The Tuttleman Learning Center, and the 
Independence Blue Cross Student Recreation Center.
  His strategic vision for the Main Campus helped revitalize North 
Central Philadelphia. As a result, community residents are seeing new 
housing and new retail and entertainment projects in their 
neighborhoods--and Temple is experiencing an unprecedented influx of 
talented students who want an education in a great city.
  Mr. President, I doubt that few institutions could rival Temple 
University for its accomplishments and progress during the remarkable 
stewardship of President Liacouras. I would like to thank my friend for 
his extraordinary success in leading Temple University to new heights 
of greatness as one of America's important centers of higher 
education.

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