[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S10668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAVID ROSELLE

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, earlier this year, Dr. David 
Roselle, a personal friend and longtime president of my alma mater, the 
University of Delaware, announced that he will retire in May. I have 
the greatest respect for Dr. Roselle and the tremendous job he has done 
at the institution I love.
  The average tenure of a university president, I am told, is a little 
over 6 years, about the term of a U.S. Senator. When Dr. Roselle 
leaves, he will have served 17 years, equivalent to almost a three-term 
Senator. That is staying power that has let him turn the University of 
Delaware from a very good regional school into a university, known 
nationally for its academic excellence.
  When constituents ask me: ``My child has gotten into this university 
or that university. Where should she go?'' I say go to that university 
they can get into now and are quite certain 10 years from now they 
would never be admitted. That certainly would have been my story at the 
University of Delaware.
  Back when I was a student in the early 1960s, we had 4,000 
undergraduates, maybe 400 graduate students. Today, there are 15,000 
undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students. They come from all over the 
country and world.
  But what is really different between then, and now, is not the 
quantity, but that even the highest caliber students must now worry 
about their ability to get in. During Dr. Roselle's tenure, the SAT 
scores of entering freshman has risen significantly.
  All of us in public service have the goal to leave the place better 
than how we found it, and Dr. Roselle has clearly done that, on many 
fronts.
  Physically, under his leadership, he oversaw the building and 
rebuilding of about two dozen structures, including a new sports/
convocation center, a new center for the arts that opened recently, new 
laboratories, new residences, and new academic buildings. He brought 
technology into the infrastructure, so all campus buildings are 21st 
century ready.
  Financially, he has nearly quadrupled the university's endowment, to 
$1.2 billion, far exceeding anyone's expectations. The number of 
endowed faculty positions has increased from 20 some 10 years ago to 
more than 100 today, allowing the university to attract excellent 
faculty members.
  Since he arrived, he increased student aid from $19 million to $56 
million and started scholarship support so more students can study 
abroad. The University of Delaware started the first Study Abroad 
Program in the world 80 years ago, and today, 40 percent of 
undergraduates spend some time learning abroad, increasingly important 
preparation for a job in today's global economy.
  All of us in this Chamber should feel good about helping expand the 
university's scientific programs. During Dr. Roselle's tenure, Congress 
appropriated almost $90 million for defense work, primarily at the 
University's Center for Advanced Composite Materials. It has been put 
to good use. They have developed critical basic composite materials and 
production techniques to produce the lighter, more capable vehicles, 
guns, armor, and ships our military needs.
  We also should feel good about the millions of dollars Congress has 
directed to the university to help fight avian influenza, develop clean 
energy technologies, and for biotechnology research, among other 
activities.
  I also note that Dr. Roselle presided over Blue Hen football teams 
that combined had a 135-54-1 record and brought to Newark a national 
championship, a proud day for all of our alumni.
  The list of his accomplishments is long, and I could go on. But it is 
not so much what he has built, as what the 70,000 students who 
graduated during his tenure will accomplish with the quality education 
he had such a strong hand in giving them.
  Our alma mater has a wonderful line, ``We give thee thanks for 
glorious days beneath thy guiding hand,'' and it is certainly his hand 
as well as his head and heart that has guided the university into the 
wonderful institution it is today.
  I know I speak for all of my colleagues in extending Dr. Roselle our 
heartfelt congratulations.

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