[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 92 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1300-E1301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING 150 YEARS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JAMES C. GREENWOOD

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 6, 2004

  Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, since its inception 150 years ago as a 
pioneering land grant college located in an area now known to millions 
as ``Happy Valley,'' the Pennsylvania State University has come to the 
forefront of American collegiate academic and athletic achievement by 
doing things honorably and exceptionally . . . by doing things ``The 
Penn State Way.''
  Today, Penn State still maintains their commitment to providing 
premier agriculture science education while expanding their national 
prominence in the areas of engineering, business, architecture, 
meteorology, social sciences, arts, and communications. Penn State's 24 
campus locations boasts an unprecedented 83,000 undergraduate, 
graduate, law and medical students that have the opportunity to take 
11,300 courses in 180 degree majors! With so many scholastic avenues 
worth pursuing and exploring, Penn State provides every undergraduate 
student with a well-balanced education through their extensive general 
education requirements. However, Penn State's educational leadership 
far exceeds the boundaries of the classroom through their distance 
education and statewide agricultural extension programs.
  If you have ever talked to a Penn State alumnus--and with 1 in 720 
Americans holding a Penn State degree, it isn't hard to find one, it 
will take just a moment for them to envelop you with their enthusiastic 
love for the Nittany Lions. As Americans we have all benefited in one 
way or another from either a Penn State alumnus, or Penn State research 
guided achievement. Imagine what our lives today without the only FDA 
approved heart pump, the electron microscope, the screenplay to 
``Casablanca'' or a Fischer Price toy. In addition to the hundreds of 
my constituents graduating from Penn State every year, I have been able 
to personally benefit from Penn State's outstanding academic programs 
through the knowledge that was imparted to my current staff, Judy 
Borger, Amanda Murphy, and Jeff Urbanchuk, and to former staff member 
Sara McGraw.
  If you are lucky enough to visit, it can take as little as a walk 
through Old Main lawn while enjoying a scoop of Peachy Paterno ice 
cream from the Creamery, or sitting among 108,000 of your closest 
friends in Beaver Stadium watching the Marching Blue Band perform their 
signature ``Floating Lions'' drill to perfection, to understand why 
Penn State has the largest alumni association in the world . . . 
because once you've experienced Penn State, you will never want to let 
go.
  For years, Penn State has built a reputation of integrity, respect, 
and competitiveness in their nationally-renowned programs in fencing, 
gymnastics, women's volleyball, women's basketball, soccer, and 
swimming--while more importantly serving as a shining example to other 
universities by putting the student before the athlete.
  And then there's the football. One cannot talk about Penn State's 
history and achievements without acknowledging the 53 years of 
unmatched leadership from Joe Paterno--a truly great example of what it 
means to be Penn State proud. Under his watchful eyes, Penn State has 
become a national powerhouse in men's college football, accruing 2 
national championships and 5 undefeated seasons. However, when asked 
about his most important successes, Mr. Paterno will not quote these 
figures for you, nor will he mention that he is one of the most winning 
coaches in NCAA history, because the most important figure to Mr. 
Paterno is his team's graduation rate--with over 80 percent of Penn 
State football players graduating within 6 years, well above the 
national average.
  Even if a student hasn't experienced the pride of playing in the 
nameless blue and white uniforms, or enjoyed a Saturday afternoon at 
Beaver Stadium cheering on the team

[[Page E1301]]

with their friends--every Penn State student has benefited from Mr. 
Paterno's generosity and philanthropy as he contributed significant 
funds to an addition of the library that was completed in 2000, and was 
instrumental in raising more than a billion dollars for the university 
in only 5 years.
  Happy 150th Birthday, Penn State . . . may we all be united in our 
own personal efforts to stand for your admirable principles and in that 
respect we will all be able to say, WE ARE . . . PENN STATE!

                          ____________________