[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 127 (Monday, November 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ARCH T. DOTSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2006

  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory 
of an inspiring man and longtime constituent, Professor Arch T. Dotson, 
who passed away last April at the age of 85. Over the course of his 
remarkable life, Prof. Dotson (``Arch'') served as teacher, friend, and 
mentor to all who knew him.
  Professor Dotson truly is an exemplar of the American success story. 
Born the second of three sons to tenant farmers in Kentucky, he 
graduated from Transylvania University in 1941 and joined the U.S. Air 
Force as a test pilot throughout World War II. In September of 1945, he 
decided to go to Harvard University for graduate school. He would 
recount the story of his experience with the associate dean: ``She 
looked at my transcript and she looked at me in my full officer's 
uniform and finally said, `Harvard can afford to take a few chances.' 
'' Five years later, Arch left Harvard Square with a Ph.D. in 
government.
  His career at Cornell University spanned 50 years, during which he 
had an immeasurable impact on the campus and its students. In 1969, 18 
years after arriving in Ithaca, Prof. Dotson was named Chair of the 
Department of Government. In 1979 he became founding Director of the 
Cornell in Washington program, and in 1984 undertook the same role for 
Cornell Abroad. From 1991 to 1996 he served as Director of the Cornell 
Institute for Public Affairs. During this time, he also consulted 
internationally, helping India with regional development, assisting 
with the opening of a College of Public Administration in the 
Philippines, and working for the United Nations.
  Professor Dotson had a tremendous impact on all whose lives he 
touched. The Cornell in Washington and Cornell Abroad programs are now 
cornerstones of the Cornell experience, with over 1,000 students 
participating in them each year. A former student says, ``He deeply 
loved all of his students . . . he encouraged us to recognize within 
ourselves the ability to succeed even if the odds seemed stacked 
against us.'' Dedicated to public service, Arch truly believed that 
everyone, no matter their roots or circumstances, could make an impact 
on the world they lived in.
  Professor Dotson serves as a model for what we all may aspire to 
become. I am honored to pay tribute to him today, and send my thoughts 
and prayers to the family and friends of this inspiring figure.

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