[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF DR. L. JAY OLIVA, PRESIDENT, NYU

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a New Yorker who has 
done a great deal for higher education in America, and for the City of 
New York. As a proud alumnus of this great university, I wanted to 
share with Members of Congress some of the accomplishments of this fine 
leader, and to take this opportunity to salute Dr. Oliva. New York 
University is the largest private university in this nation with more 
than 50,000 students, many of them first-generation college attendees. 
I know because I was one such first-generation college graduate in my 
family. NYU is clearly one of this country's premier universities.
  Dr. Oliva has been its president since 1991, but he has been a leader 
of NYU for many decades, four decades, in fact. He has provided 
distinguished leadership of young men and women as its Chancellor, as a 
Dean, a Provost, and as an Executive Vice President. Yet, I want to 
recognize him for a role he has played continuously throughout these 40 
or so years, and still plays--a teacher. He still personally carries a 
teaching load; he believes in that role above all. NYU has been at the 
heart of this man's life.
  NYU's motto is a ``private university in the public service.'' These 
were not just words for Jay Oliva, for, indeed, he was one of the very 
first university presidents in the nation to lead the fight for 
Americorps. He helped shape a university that is dedicated to community 
service and volunteerism. Over 4,000 NYU students participate in 
volunteer efforts. President Oliva assembled his own President's C-Team 
that involves over 200 students working directly with him on public 
service initiatives. NYU is now home to the largest America Reads 
program in this country. Under his leadership, NYU has distinguished 
itself as a provider of services for the underprivileged, through its 
dental clinics providing healthcare to the indigent, low-income and 
minority populations, to its social work, education, nursing and 
medical school and initiatives, to its highly distinguished legal and 
business leadership and assistance. NYU provides tutoring and training 
for schools throughout the region, leaving a mark on many people's 
lives.
  September 11th 2001 was no exception, when NYU was not only directly 
hit, but it was a time when its doctors, nurses, dentists, social 
workers and staff immediately answered the call to provide services to 
those in New York in need.
  Dr. Oliva certainly saw a global vision and mission for NYU, but it 
was his local vision that has provided a blanket of services over New 
York City and State. For all of these and many more reasons, I stand 
now to applaud his leadership of NYU, his dedication to this great 
institution, and to the principles on which it was founded, and which 
he did so much to shape.

                          ____________________