[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ALOYSIUS P. KELLEY, S.J.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2004

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Aloysius P. Kelley, 
S.J., the seventh and longest-serving President in Fairfield 
University's history, who plans to retire on June 30, 2004, after 25 
years of service.
  Father Kelley's decision marks the end of a tremendously successful 
25-year tenure during which Fairfield University has become one of the 
preeminent Jesuit schools in the country. As the longest serving 
president of the nation's 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, arriving 
at the University in 1979, Father Kelley has presided over the 
graduation of 64 percent of Fairfield's 38,000 alumni.
  During his tenure, Father Kelley worked tirelessly in collaboration 
with the University's faculty, alumni, parents and friends to achieve 
extraordinary results. He has overseen facility expansion that has 
transformed the campus, including the construction and acquisition of 
14 new facilities and the renovation and expansion of 12 others.
  The student body and faculty of Fairfield University have been 
strengthened over the past 25 years. On the undergraduate level, 
Fairfield this year set an all-time record in the number of 
applications, with 7,655 for 850 seats in the incoming class. During 
Father Kelley's tenure, the average combined SAT score for the entering 
class has increased from 1,065 to 1,197. Fairfield's admission for this 
year's entering class placed it among the top five percent of four-year 
colleges and universities in the nation in terms of selectivity. The 
intellectual environment thrived during Father Kelley's tenure
  This is the end of an extraordinarily successful era. Under Father 
Kelley's leadership, Fairfield University has experienced dramatic 
growth and success. To top it all off, the institution's endowment has 
increased from under $2 million in 1979 to $131 million currently.
  Father Kelley will be greatly missed. He leaves a strong legacy and 
bright future on which his successor may build. I would like to extend 
my heartfelt appreciation to Father Kelley for his tremendous 
accomplishments.

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