[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 18 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING UNC CHARLOTTE CHANCELLOR EMERITUS DEAN WALLACE COLVARD

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                        HON. SUE WILKINS MYRICK

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 2004

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor and recognize UNC 
Charlotte Chancellor Emeritus Dean Wallace Colvard. On February 24, 
2004 he will receive an award that recognizes his lasting impact on our 
nation. Dr. Colvard, 90, is the 2004 recipient of The Echo Award 
Against Indifference, given by the Echo Foundation in honor of his 
lifelong commitment to equity and justice.
  Dr. Colvard is best known for his courageous stand against racial 
discrimination in 1963 as president of Mississippi State University, 
when he challenged an unwritten state policy and allowed the basketball 
team to travel to Loyola of Chicago to compete in the NCAA tournament 
against African-American players. Although his team lost, 61-51, 
Colvard and Mississippi State won national respect for their quest to 
end segregation--and opened doors of opportunity for future 
generations.
  Forty years later, in 2003, Mississippi State made national news for 
earning its second trip to the NCAA, and Colvard's actions were 
chronicled in a Sports Illustrated story looking back on the historic 
event. To this day, Colvard downplays the significance of his decision, 
saying he only did what was right.
  Dr. Colvard was born in the Appalachian Mountains in Grassy Creek, 
N.C. in 1913--in a home with no electricity, indoor plumbing or running 
water. He was the first member of his family to go to college, entering 
the work-study program at Berea College in Kentucky with $100 in his 
pocket. Those humble beginnings instilled in him a lifelong commitment 
to equity and justice.
  He went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in animal physiology from 
the University of Missouri and a doctoral degree in agricultural 
economics from Purdue University. He has served as superintendent of 
North Carolina Agricultural Research Stations; professor and head of 
the animal science department and later, dean of agriculture at North 
Carolina State College; president of Mississippi State University; and 
first chancellor of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He 
played an instrumental role in shaping the new university by securing 
regional and national accreditation for its programs and building a 
campus to accommodate enrollment that swelled from 1,700 to 8,705 
students during his chancellorship.
  Dr. Colvard was also instrumental in creating University Research 
Park and Discovery Place Science Museum in Charlotte, and the North 
Carolina School for Math and Science in Durham--the nation's first 
public, residential high school that emphasizes a science and 
mathematics curriculum. Among Colvard's many honors are the United 
States Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Award (1966); the 
University of North Carolina University Award (1989); the North 
Carolina Public Service Award, presented by Gov. James Martin (1990); 
and honorary degrees from Purdue University, Belmont Abbey College, UNC 
Charlotte and Berea College.

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