[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 29, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DR. FRANK BROWN

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                       HON. LYNN A. WESTMORELAND

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2008

  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people in Georgia's 
3rd Congressional District, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
distinguished service of Dr. Frank Brown, longtime president of 
Columbus State University.
  The longest-serving president in the University System of Georgia 
will retire this spring after 20 years at the helm. While his time on 
the job draws short, his legacy at CSU stretches long.
  During Dr. Brown's tenure, Columbus State has experienced 
extraordinary growth and progress. He transitioned the school from a 
college to a university that now boasts more than 50 undergraduate 
programs and more than 35 master's or specialist's programs. The 
school's expansion includes numerous new academic facilities, new 
housing for more than 1,200 students and a clock tower that has become 
a symbol of the university and the center of campus life. The school 
also has developed a downtown campus called RiverPark that houses 350 
students and the arts, theater and music departments.
  The academic caliber of the university has grown also under Dr. 
Brown's leadership. The D. Abbott Turner College of Business is now 
among only about 27 percent of business schools in the country 
accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of 
Business; and the College of Education was recently re-accredited by 
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Additionally, 
the nursing, art, theater, music and counseling programs have all 
achieved national accreditation in their disciplines, a mark of clear 
distinction in academic circles.
  The most recent indication of the university's level of respect may 
be the success of CSU's capital campaign, An Investment in People. When 
the campaign was first being considered in the late 1990s, many 
considered the originally proposed goal of about $35 million too 
ambitious. At its conclusion, the campaign exceeded $100 million, 
thanks to an unbelievably supportive community, a wide-reaching team of 
dedicated volunteers and the partnerships established over the years.
  The success of CSU under Dr. Brown has benefited the community of 
Columbus at large, according to Chamber of Commerce President Mike 
Gaymon. ``Thanks to Frank's leadership, the university has expanded to 
bring three of its schools downtown to make art, music and theater a 
major part of UpTown Columbus,'' Gaymon said. ``Dr. Brown has led a 
renaissance at CSU.''
  Dr. Brown's good works off campus complement his accomplishments on 
campus. He was the 1994 volunteer of the year for the Lung Association 
of Georgia and he's also contributed his time to the American Red 
Cross. He's a member of the Columbus First Baptist Church and the 
Columbus Rotary Club, and he's been involved with the Greater Columbus 
Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, the Georgia Council on Economic 
Education and the Boy Scouts of America.
  When announcing his retirement from Columbus State, Dr. Brown said 
the time was simply right for a new leader to build on the successes of 
the past 20 years. Admirers of Dr. Brown will no doubt feel a certain 
pity for the successor who must fill such big shoes.
  Over the past generation, our state of Georgia has moved from the 
backwaters to the forefront of the American higher education systems. 
It has been the leadership, intelligence, dedication and perseverance 
of educators such as Dr. Frank Brown that have lifted higher education 
in Georgia to standards of excellence.
  More than the students and alumni at Columbus State University owe 
Dr. Frank Brown a debt of gratitude. His contributions are felt 
positively throughout the Greater Columbus area. Upon his retirement, 
we can look back and pay him the ultimate compliment: He dedicated his 
career to a worthwhile endeavor, and he left it better off than how he 
found it. In Frank Brown's case, he left it immeasurably better than he 
found it. For that, we thank him and we praise him. As he moves on into 
another phase of life we wish health and happiness to him and his wife 
Jo Ann.

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