[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO DAVID AND DOLLY FIDDYMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to thank and congratulate my 
friends, David and Dolly Fiddyment of Roseville, California, for their 
generous contributions to furthering the field of education. They have 
made an extraordinary gift of $1.09 million to establish the first 
endowed chair at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) School 
of Education. With this contribution, they are furthering their 
family's heritage as education pioneers in Northern California.
  The Fiddyment Family's roots in the greater Sacramento area predate 
both the advent of railroad and the founding of the City of Roseville--
which the family helped to start. David's greatgrandmother, Jane 
Fiddyment, acquired an 80-acre parcel in 1856. The parcel eventually 
grew to encompass 2,200 acres of livestock, grain, and pistachio farms. 
David and Dolly themselves have been growing pistachios at Fiddyment 
Farms in Roseville since 1969 and have helped shape the State's vibrant 
pistachio industry.
  Mr. Speaker, the Fiddyment Family's commitment to education runs as 
deep as their rich history in agriculture. Great-grandmother Jane 
Fiddyment gave a portion of her land for one of the first schools in 
the Roseville area in the 1880s. She felt that the school building and 
playground were essential so that children in the area could receive 
needed instruction. It was a one-room structure with an oblong iron 
wood stove in the center of the room, a tall pine flag pole in the 
front, a good well, and a shed for stabling the horses ridden by 
youngsters from near and far. It was known as the Pleasant Grove 
School, and Jane became its first teacher. The school continued in 
operation until 1911.
  Continuing the tradition, the mothers of both David and Dolly taught 
school in the early 1900s, and Dolly was a teacher in the San Juan 
Unified School District for 25 years.
  Like the Fiddyments, UC Davis has a long history of working to 
strengthen schools, dating back to the first teacher-training program 
held on the University Farm in 1918. With the founding of the School of 
Education in 2002, the university revitalized its commitment to K-12 
education.
  The Fiddyments' financial gift will enhance UC Davis' leadership 
position in preparing the next generation of teachers to respond to the 
critical issues facing our schools. This is the largest private 
donation made to the School of Education and one of the few in the 
Nation given to support an endowed chair in teacher education.
  Mr. Speaker, as Harold Levine, Dean of the School of Education said, 
``This gift is a milestone in our growth and signals the importance of 
teachers and teacher education to all of us. We are honored to have the 
Fiddyments as partners in our mission to strengthen teaching and 
learning for all.''
  David added, ``It is such a joy for us to be able to stand up and 
take a position on something of such importance. With this gift, we are 
hoping to make a difference in the education of children everywhere.'' 
They were inspired, in part, by a visit to the classroom of one of UC 
Davis alumna, Dawn Imamoto, a 2004 California Teacher of the Year. 
Dolly Fiddyment said that, ``Dawn embodies the kind of teacher we'd 
like every child to have.''
  Today, I am proud to honor my friends and constituents, David and 
Dolly Fiddyment. They are truly pioneering the way to a brighter future 
for the next generation of students.

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