[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 101 (Thursday, July 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8395-S8397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING SPELMAN COLLEGE ON ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 541 which was submitted earlier 
today.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 541) congratulating Spelman College 
     upon its 125th anniversary.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 541) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 541

       Whereas, in 1881, Spelman College was established by Sophia 
     B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, school teachers and Baptist 
     missionaries, in Atlanta, Georgia, for the purpose of 
     educating African-American women and girls;
       Whereas as a result of the benevolence of John D. 
     Rockefeller, Sr., and Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the name of 
     the institution was changed from ``Atlanta Baptist Female 
     Seminary'' to ``Spelman Seminary'' in honor of the Spelman 
     family;
       Whereas the curriculum expanded to include high school and 
     college classes, and the seminary conferred its first high 
     school diplomas in 1887, and its first college degrees in 
     1901;
       Whereas in 1924, Spelman Seminary officially became Spelman 
     College and grew to become a leading undergraduate 
     institution for African-American women;
       Whereas Spelman College was ranked among the top 75 Best 
     Liberal Arts Colleges according to U.S. News & World Report, 
     2005 edition;
       Whereas the Association of Medical Colleges ranks Spelman 
     College fifth among undergraduate programs for African-
     American students accepted to medical school, and Spelman is 
     1 of 6 institutions designated by the National Science 
     Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration as a Model Institution for Excellence in 
     undergraduate science and math education;
       Whereas Spelman's ninth President, Beverly Daniel Tatum, 
     has initiated a strategic plan for Spelman (``Spelman 
     ALIVE'') that includes 5 goals: Academic excellence, 
     Leadership development, Improving the infrastructure, 
     Visibility of accomplishments of the campus community, and 
     Exemplary customer service, all designed to create a vision 
     for Spelman of ``Nothing Less Than the Best''; and
       Whereas Spelman College has prepared more than 6 
     generations of African American women to reach the highest 
     levels of academic, community, and professional achievement: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates Spelman College on 125th anniversary; and
       (2) commends the President of Spelman College, Dr. Beverly 
     Daniel Tatum, and the administration, faculty, staff, 
     students, and alumnae of the College for their outstanding 
     achievements and contribution to African American education, 
     history, and culture.

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today and be joined 
by my fellow Senator from Georgia, Senator Chambliss, in recognition of 
the 125th anniversary of Spelman College.
  Spelman College is a historically Black college in the State of 
Georgia and a part of the Atlanta University complex which is the 
largest consortium of historically Black universities and colleges in 
the United States of America.
  The resolution congratulates the student body, the faculty, the 
founders, and in particular Dr. Beverly Daniel

[[Page S8396]]

Tatum, and the administration, the faculty, and staff of Spelman 
College.
  Spelman College was founded in Atlanta, GA, 1881 by Baptist 
missionaries and teachers Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles for 
the purpose of educating African-American women and girls.
  Due to the benevolence of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.--Senator 
Rockefeller's great-grandfather--and Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the 
name of the institution was changed from Atlanta Baptist Female 
Seminary to Spelman Seminary in honor of the Spelman family.
  A Rockefeller has since sat on the Spelman College Board of Trustees, 
including Senator Rockefeller's daughter, Valerie Rockefeller Wayne, 
who currently sits on the Board of Trustees.
  Spelman later expanded its curriculum to include high school and 
college classes, and conferred its first high school degree in 1887, 
and its first college degree in 1901.
  In 1924 Spelman Seminary became Spelman College and grew to become a 
leading undergraduate institution for African-American women.
  Spelman is ranked among the top 75 best liberal arts college 
according to U.S. News and World Report, 2005 edition.
  The Association of Medical Colleges ranks Spelman fifth among 
undergraduate programs for African-American students accepted to 
medical school; and not surprisingly Spelman is one of six institutions 
designated by the National Science Foundation and NASA as a Model 
Institution for Excellence in undergraduate science and math.
  The resolution also commends Dr. Tatum for her excellent work and 
vision of the future for the college. It further calls attention to her 
initiation of a strategic plan for Spelman called ``Spelman ALIVE'' 
that includes five goals designated to create a vision of Spelman of 
academic, community, and professional achievement: academic excellence, 
leadership development, improving the infrastructure, visibility of 
accomplishments of the campus community, and exemplary customer 
service.
  It is both an honor and privilege for me today on behalf of the State 
of Georgia and I think the Senate to unanimously commend Spelman 
College on its achievement of 125 continuous years of service to 
African-American women in the United States.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my friend and 
colleague, Senator Isakson from Georgia, to congratulate Spelman 
College, the country's oldest historically Black college for women on 
its 125th anniversary.
  Spelman College was established in 1881 by two school teachers and 
Baptist missionaries, Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, for the 
purpose of educating African-American women and girls. Located in 
Atlanta, GA, and started in the basement of the Friendship Baptist 
Church, the college has come a long way from its beginnings, growing 
into a 32-acre campus. Spelman is also a member of the largest group of 
historically black institutions in the world including Morehouse 
University, the Morehouse School of Medicine, Clark Atlanta University, 
and the Interdenominational Theological Center.
  Spelman has a very diverse student population with 2,100 students 
from 41 States and 15 foreign countries. In 2005, Spelman ranked among 
the top 75 liberal arts colleges according to U.S. News & World Report. 
Eighty-four percent of the faculty at Spelman hold a Ph.D. or higher, 
and the student teacher ratio is 11 to 1, making Spelman a top choice 
for African-American women to obtain an undergraduate degree. Many of 
their students seek advance degrees. In 2000, Spelman ranked second in 
the country in placing African-American students in medical schools.
  The Federal Government has seen the promise that the students and 
faculty at Spelman possess and, in 2003, the National Institutes of 
Health National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities 
awarded the college a $4.2 million grant for research to help eliminate 
health disparities among minority groups. Spelman was one of only six 
institutions to receive this funding. Also in 2003, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Awarded the college with a 
$4.5 million grant to enhance its Women in Science and Engineering, 
WISE, scholars program.
  Spelman College also realizes the need to give back to the African-
American community. With the help of Federal funding, the school 
created the Spelman College Health and Wellness Initiative. This 
program is helping to gain a better understanding of the many factors 
that impact the health of young African-American women. The Health and 
Wellness Initiative is also helping to create preventive strategies for 
the unique circumstances that apply to all African-American women. 
These strategies are currently being developed and used to prevent 
cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS in African-
American women.
  In 2005, six Spelman women qualified for the International RoboCup 
2005 Four-Legged Robot soccer competition in Osaka, Japan. The students 
created computer programs for the robots to compete in the soccer 
tournament, requiring the robots play without human intervention. Of 
the 24 teams that qualified internationally, the SpelBots, as the team 
is called, were the first and only Historically Black College and 
University, the only all women institution, and the only United States 
undergraduate institution to qualify for the tournament. When looking 
back years from now at historically Black colleges and robotics 
research, all searches will lead to Spelman.
  Spelman graduates have gone on to be professionals such as doctors, 
nurses, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and chemists. I want to 
congratulate Spelman College on their success and developing thousands 
of young women into strong business and community leaders over the past 
125 years.
  I would also like to recognize the president of Spelman College, my 
friend, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, and the administration, faculty, 
staff, students and alumnae of the college for their leadership, 
outstanding achievements, and contributions that have made Spelman such 
a fine institution and a great citizen of our State. It is my most 
sincere hope that Spelman will continue to thrive and prosper for many 
years to come.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I rise with my colleagues from 
Georgia, Mr. Isakson and Mr. Chambliss, to congratulate Spelman College 
on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.
  Spelman College, then known as ``Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary,'' 
was established in 1881 in Atlanta, GA, by Sophia B. Packard and 
Harriet E. Giles, schoolteachers and Baptist missionaries, who created 
the school for the purpose of educating African-American women and 
girls. The institution kindly thanked my great-grandparents John D. 
Rockefeller, Sr. and Laura Spelman Rockefeller after their donation to 
the school by changing the school's name to ``Spelman Seminary'' in 
honor of the Spelman family in 1924. I am enormously proud that my 
family has been associated with this school for the last 80-plus years 
and of the achievements by the school and especially its alumnae. 
Today, my daughter, Valerie Rockefeller Wayne, serves on the board of 
trustees and she continues our family's proud connection to this 
important institution.
  The school grew to include high school and college classes and 
bestowed its first high school diplomas in 1887 and its first college 
degrees in 1901. The school expanded to become a leading undergraduate 
institution for African- American women. In the 2005 edition of U.S. 
News and World Report, Spelman College was ranked among the top 75 best 
liberal arts colleges. The Association of Medical Colleges ranks 
Spelman College fifth among undergraduate programs for Black students 
accepted to medical school and Spelman is one of six institutions 
designated by the National Science Foundation and the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration as a Model Institution for 
Excellence in undergraduate science and math education.
  We commend Spelman's ninth president, Beverly Daniel Tatum, who has 
initiated a strategic plan for Spelman titled ``Spelman ALIVE'' that 
includes five goals: academic excellence, leadership development, 
improving the infrastructure, visibility of accomplishments of the 
campus community, and

[[Page S8397]]

exemplary customer service, all designed to create a vision for Spelman 
of ``Nothing Less than the Best.'' For 125 years, Spelman has been at 
the forefront of education in our Nation, and with this plan I am 
confident it will continue to grow and thrive.
  Spelman College has prepared more than six generations of African-
American women to reach the highest levels of academic, community, and 
professional achievement. My cosponsors Mr. Isakson and Mr. Chambliss 
and I also thank the administration, faculty, staff, students, and 
alumnae of the college for their outstanding achievements and 
contribution to African-American education, history, and culture.

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