[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING CARL RIGGS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of the late Carl 
Riggs, a former provost and acting president at the University of South 
Florida who dedicated 25 years to turning the University into the 
first-class, nationally renowned institution that it is today.
  Carl began his academic career at the University of Michigan, where 
he earned three zoology degrees before serving in the United States Air 
Force as an aviation cadet. He went on to work for 23 years at the 
University of Oklahoma, where he published several books and articles 
on zoology and served as acting provost.
  In 1971, Carl was asked to join USF as a biology professor and a 
vice-president of academic affairs, and in the next 25 years, he held a 
host of leadership positions at the University, including acting 
president from 1977 to 1978. During his time at the University, Carl 
set clear standards for faculty tenure, salary and promotions, and at a 
time when USF was primarily considered a teaching college, Carl was 
instrumental in developing USF's graduate and research program, which 
he oversaw until the mid 1980s. Carl's accomplishments helped make USF 
a successful university that competes with the best.
  Carl's colleagues remember him with admiration and respect. He had a 
vision for USF, and made it come to life. But most importantly, he 
never stopped caring for the students. In 1990, Carl was awarded USF's 
Distinguished Citizen's award, and the mayor of Tampa named June 28 of 
that year to be Dr. Carl Riggs Day.
  Carl's contributions to the Tampa Bay community extend far beyond the 
USF campus. He served as a member on the board of directors of the Boy 
Scouts of America, and on the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists. 
Although Carl retired from USF in 1996, he still represented the 
school, and remained an integral part of it.
  On behalf of our community, I would like to extend my deepest 
sympathies to Carl's wife and children, who have been blessed to have a 
wonderful, selfless role-model in their family. We will always remember 
Carl for his dedication and service to our city and the USF community.

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