[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING THE SERVICE AND SPIRIT OF SISTER JEANNE O'LAUGHLIN UPON HER 
           RETIREMENT FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF BARRY UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2004

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
long and dedicated service of Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, who will step 
down as president of Barry University on June 30, 2004.
  Mr. Speaker, Sister Jeanne has been an exemplary leader at Barry 
University since taking office 23 years ago, in 1981. A tireless and 
enthusiastic promoter, she has helped to raise more than $200 million 
for her school, sometimes through humorous means, such as competitive 
ballroom dancing and singing at a fundraiser aboard a yacht.
  Sister Jeanne has made an enormously positive impact on the academic 
environment at Barry University. At the time of her inauguration, Barry 
University had 1,750 students. It now boasts 9,042, the fourth largest 
private university in Florida. Sister Jeanne has presided over an 
increase in the number of academic schools from five to ten, and the 
construction of 38 additional buildings on campus.
  Her multiple awards, achievements and honorary degrees, too many to 
list here, testify to her boundless energy, her spirit of goodwill, and 
her commitment to excellence in education. Her work on behalf of 
women's rights, the homeless, safe and drug-free school communities, 
hurricane reconstruction efforts, children, and numerous other 
organizations has had a lasting impact in South Florida. Simply put, 
her efforts have touched hundreds of thousands of lives.
  Mr. Speaker, Sister Jeanne more than deserves our admiration and 
respect for her dedicated and compassionate public service. She is an 
example to educators everywhere, and, really, to us all as individuals, 
that superior results arise when you put your heart and soul into 
something you believe in. As Sister Jeanne has said, what she is ``most 
proud of in my 23 years at Barry University are the experiences that 
I've had with the people who have been in my life.''
  I wish to congratulate and thank Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, and I wish 
her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.

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