[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO DR. HENRY N. TISDALE, PRESIDENT OF CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

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                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2004

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Henry 
Nehemiah Tisdale, the 8th President of Claflin University in 
Orangeburg, South Carolina. A native South Carolinian, Dr. Tisdale's 
commitment to higher education has enabled scores of students to 
achieve their dreams of a college degree. This year marks his 10th year 
as President of this esteemed institution, and I believe a good time to 
highlight some of his outstanding contributions to South Carolina's 
higher education community.
  Born in Kingstree, South Carolina, Dr. Tisdale received a Bachelor of 
Science degree in Mathematics from Claflin University in 1964. In 1967, 
he was awarded a Master of Education degree from Temple University, and 
in 1975, received a Master of Arts in Mathematics from Dartmouth 
College. He later obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mathematics 
from Dartmouth College in 1978.
  Dr. Tisdale's professional experiences include a twenty-four-year 
tenure as Senior Vice-President and Chief Academic Officer at Delaware 
State University, where he also served for a year as Assistant Academic 
Dean for Administration, Planning, and Information Management.
  His vision and zeal to position his alma mater Claflin University as 
a premier institution in the Southeast is nothing short of 
extraordinary. Under his tutelage, the University has earned ``Top 
Tier'' and ``Top Ten'' ranking among comprehensive baccalaureate 
granting institutions in the South with U.S. News and World Report's 
``America's Best Colleges 2003. `` He has increased enrollment by 60 
percent, achieved national accreditation for Business Administration 
and Teacher Education, restored many of the campus buildings, and 
transformed the campus with the new Living and Learning Center and 
Legacy Plaza.
  Dr. Tisdale has also been the recipient of numerous honors and awards 
including the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher 
Education (NAFEO) Distinguished Alumni Award, Who's Who Among Black 
Americans, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People (NAACP) Educator of the Year Award.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in commemorating 
Dr. Tisdale's ten years at Claflin University. He has blazed a trail in 
his community through education and service that continues to influence 
future generations and enhance the national reputation of South 
Carolina in the field of higher education. Not only are Claflin's 
students and faculty, friends and alumni fortunate to have a person of 
Dr. Tisdale's caliber at the helm of their institution, but South 
Carolina is also a grateful beneficiary of Dr. Tisdale's passion for 
public service, and I am personally proud to have him as a personal 
friend.

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