[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1858-E1859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE INSTALLATION OF DR. CLAUDE G. PERKINS AS VIRGINIA UNION 
                      UNIVERSITY'S 12TH PRESIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. 
Claude G. Perkins as Virginia Union University's 12th president. I am 
proud to represent Virginia Union University (VUU), which is located in 
Richmond, Virginia, and is one of the nation's oldest Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities.
  Established in 1865 on the site of Lumpkin's Jail in order to educate 
the newly freed slaves, VUU was formed by the merger of Richmond 
Theological Institute and Wayland Seminary. Hartshorn Memorial College 
and Storer College were later merged into the University forming a true 
``union.'' Today, VUU continues to be nourished by its African American 
heritage and energized by its commitment to excellence and diversity.
  VUU's student body currently numbers 1,500 students--including 1,200 
undergraduate and 300 graduate students--consisting primarily of first 
generation college students. VUU is proud to offer 24 majors at the 
baccalaureate level, as well as Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in 
Christian Education, and Doctor of Ministry degrees at the Samuel 
Dewitt Proctor School of Theology. VUU's Criminal Justice and 
Mathematics programs are renowned, and many teachers in the City

[[Page E1859]]

of Richmond are graduates of VUU's Education program. In addition to 
excelling in academics, VUU boasts strong extracurricular activities 
and programs. In particular, VUU has won four NCAA Division II National 
Basketball Championships--three for the men's team in 1980, 1992, and 
2005 and one for the women's team in 1983.
  This month, VUU formally installed Dr. Perkins as its 12th president. 
Dr. Perkins is a veteran educator with ties to Richmond, and I am 
pleased that he has returned to Richmond to lead this excellent 
academic institution.
  Dr. Perkins has spent over 35 years in education leadership roles at 
various levels of K-12 and higher education. In Richmond, Virginia, he 
held the positions of Deputy Superintendent and Assistant 
Superintendent in the Richmond Public School System for several years 
in the 1980s and early 1990s. Dr. Perkins also served as Superintendent 
of Schools in Kansas City, Missouri, and Clark County, Nevada. In 2005, 
the Clark County, Nevada, School Board approved the naming of the new 
Claude Grandford Perkins Elementary School in recognition of Dr. 
Perkins' service to the Clark County, Nevada, education community.
  In 2009, Dr. Perkins retired from Albany State University, where he 
spent 10 years in several posts, including Professor of Educational 
Leadership, Graduate Dean and Associate Vice President for Academic 
Affairs. School officials credited him with expanding the graduate 
program and increasing the University's international partnerships. He 
also taught graduate education courses.
  Dr. Perkins is the recipient of many awards, including: The Ohio 
University Medal of Merit Award (1982); City of Richmond (Virginia) 
Resolution in Recognition of Educational Leadership (1997); The James 
Herbert White Preeminence Award for Education and Academics (2002); and 
the Nevada Senate Resolution of Educational Achievement (2005).
  VUU has already seen significant change in the few short months of 
Dr. Perkins' leadership. Dr. Perkins led VUU through a successful 
reaccreditation process, increased enrollment, and began a significant 
campaign to upgrade classrooms and campus housing.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased that Dr. Perkins is the newest president 
of VUU. I congratulate him on this outstanding achievement and wish him 
much success as he continues the efforts to take VUU into the next 
century as a leader in higher education.

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