[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 77 (Thursday, May 10, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S5926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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              MURPHY OIL AND THE EL DORADO PROMISE PROGRAM

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, today I wish to pay tribute to 
one of the top companies in the Nation and one that calls Arkansas 
home, Murphy Oil. In the May 2007 issue of Reader's Digest, Murphy Oil 
was named one of ``America's 100 Best'' in recognition of the El Dorado 
Promise scholarship program. Reader's Digest called the program the 
``Best Class Act'' and nothing could be more true.
  El Dorado Promise was created through a $50 million gift from Murphy 
Oil Company. The advent of the program guarantees that all local high 
school graduates in the El Dorado community will be able to go to 
college. To be eligible for the program, students must, at minimum, 
graduate from El Dorado High School, live in the school district, and 
attend El Dorado High between the 9th and 12th grades. Depending on how 
long a student has lived in the school district, eligible students will 
receive tuition and mandatory fees assistance for up to 5 years and 
equal to the highest yearly rate charged by an Arkansas public 
university. Students must enroll in a community college or a 4-year 
university--public or private, in Arkansas or out of State--and 
maintain a 2.0 grade point average to remain eligible.
  What a gift this is for this South Arkansas community and the 
families that live there. According to the Washington Post, it is one 
of the most generous scholarship programs in the Nation. When the 
program was announced in January at a school assembly, many in 
attendance were brought to tears.
  I want to commend Claiborne Deming, the president and CEO of Murphy 
Oil, and the Murphy Oil board of directors for their vision and 
investment in the children of El Dorado. The commitment they are making 
to their community will provide wonderful opportunities for many 
Arkansas families. Murphy Oil's unselfish gift also will elevate the 
lives of so many young people and allow them to fully participate in 
our global economy.
  Many colleges are offering to participate in the program, and El 
Dorado Promise is already sparking interest as other communities 
attempt to find ways to offer similar programs. I am also hopeful that 
this scholarship program will set an example for other corporate 
citizens to make investments in their communities. It can go beyond 
dollars and cents, too. The donation of technology or even time in the 
form of mentoring programs can have a meaningful impact on students and 
communities in ways that cannot be measured.
  Education is a national investment in our most precious resource, our 
children. The knowledge and training they receive will provide them 
with the tools they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. 
The Nation's ability to lead responsibility in the world, to 
effectively confront emerging threats, and to complete in the global 
economy will depend on providing all our future leaders with a quality 
education. The El Dorado Promise is a quality investment in those 
children who will, no doubt, reap Murphy Oil its greatest return for 
years to come.

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