[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 59 (Friday, May 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING PENSACOLA JUNIOR COLLEGE AND THE SWITZER ARTS CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2002

  Mr. JEFF MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in 1947, Pensacola Junior 
College became the first public junior college to be established under 
Florida law. Subsequently, as the college grew, so did the recognition 
and support from the community. In 1965, the Pensacola Junior College 
(PJC) Foundation was incorporated as a non-profit corporation that 
could accept tax-deductible contributions from community supporters.
  During the next three decades, the PJC Foundation helped the college 
expand its campus, through the addition of many new buildings, as well 
as additional campus locations. In December 1998, the PJC Foundation 
launched its first comprehensive fund drive. The goal was to raise $4.5 
million. A lead gift of $1 million from the Switzer and Reilly families 
established the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts and got the 
campaign off to a successful start.
  Born September 11, 1990, Anna Lamar Switzer, the namesake of the 
Switzer Center for Visual Arts, was an artist and published author who 
believed Pensacola should offer quality educational programs for those 
living in Northwest Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States Congress congratulates Pensacola 
Junior College and recognizes the generous contribution of the Switzer 
family. The arts center is a fitting memorial to Mrs. Switzer and an 
enduring opportunity for faculty, students, and the public to enjoy and 
learn form the visual arts as Mrs. Switzer did. The Switzer endowment 
has allowed PJC not only a renovated arts center, but a three-year 
faculty chair award, two-year student scholarship award, and the 
creation of the Distinguished Artist Lecture Series.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to honor the life of Anna Lamar 
Switzer, her love for education and her affection for her community of 
Pensacola.

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