[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING AVERETT UNIVERSITY IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA

  (Mr. PERRIELLO asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House unanimously passed a 
resolution I was pleased to introduce in recognition of Averett 
University's 150 years of service and leadership to the Commonwealth of 
Virginia and the Nation. Averett University stands at the center of 
knowledge and innovation in southern Virginia. Founded in historic 
Danville in 1859, Averett stands as a testament to the virtues of 
progress and opportunity.
  It began as a school for young women at a time when educating women 
was an unconventional notion. Continuing in this spirit, Averett was 
among the first colleges in Virginia to give tangible meaning to the 
terms ``lifelong learning'' and ``career education'' by creating an 
accelerated program of higher learning for working adults.
  Today Averett has an enrollment of over 2,500 students and offers 32 
major academic fields of study. The university was recently recognized 
nationally by U.S. News and World Report as one of the leading 
baccalaureate-granting colleges in the South. For over 150 years, 
Averett University has contributed to the strength of our Nation by 
providing men and women with the tools of thought and the spirit of 
service.
  I congratulate them on this accomplishment and look forward to their 
next chapter.

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