[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E467-E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING REV. VINCENT M. COOKE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 24, 2010

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the many 
accomplishments of Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. Since becoming President 
of Buffalo's Canisius College in 1993, Rev. Cooke has steadily advanced 
everything from the school's faculty to its residence halls, making 
Canisius into the distinguished institution it is today.
  Rev. Cooke began his Presidency at Canisius with the mantra, 
``nothing less than quality would be acceptable.'' He has certainly 
followed through on these words. During his time at Canisius, Rev. 
Cooke has restored and enhanced the school's residence halls, Old Main 
and Lyons Hall, as well as its award-winning Montante Cultural Center. 
He began a 17 month, $22 million upgrade of Canisius' technological 
resources, creating more than 50 state-of-the-art classrooms.
  Rev. Cooke's dedication to excellence extends far beyond Canisius' 
facilities; not only did he raise the school's academic standards, Rev. 
Cooke also increased Canisius' applicant pool outside of Western New 
York and offered additional merit-based aid and scholarship assistance 
to the most qualified students. He dedicated himself to hiring the best 
possible faculty and, over the past decade, has increased the number of 
courses taught by full-time faculty while decreasing Canisius' student-
to-faculty ratio.
  Rev. Cooke's successes have meant so much for Canisius College; 
however the benefits of his work have extended to the surrounding 
community as well. Through his win-win approach to community relations 
Rev. Cooke helped to establish a partnership with Fannie Mae and Hunt 
Real Estate, creating the Employer Assisted Housing Program which 
provides incentives for college employees to buy homes close to campus. 
His efforts to preserve historic campus buildings have invigorated the 
surrounding community while an increase in policing efforts have made 
the campus and neighboring communities a safer place.
  Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Rev. Cooke for his copious 
achievements. His work as an educator, innovator, and leader has 
bettered not only Canisius College but all of Western New York as well.

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