[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 152 (Friday, November 19, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8114-S8115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING CENTRE COLLEGE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in 1819, a group of citizens petitioned 
the Kentucky General Assembly for a charter to create a new liberal 
arts college. The result was Centre College--a remarkable institution 
named for its proximate location in the geographic center of the 
Commonwealth. So committed was the legislature to the success of this 
school that it placed some of the State's most important citizens in 
charge of its board of trustees. Kentucky's first Governor, Isaac 
Shelby, served as its chair, and Dr. Ephraim McDowell--a pioneer in 
abdominal surgical techniques whose statue is on permanent display here 
in the Capitol--also served on the board.
  From this august beginning, Centre College matured into a nationally 
recognized educational institution that focuses its mission on the 
success of its students. As their motto indicates, every student can 
expect a personal education and extraordinary success. It is not 
surprising, then, that Centre alumni include two Vice Presidents, one 
Chief Justice and one Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 13 
U.S. Senators, 43 U.S. Representatives, 11 Governors--as well as 3 
alumni currently serving on my staff. Indeed, Centre College has been a 
proving ground for generations of men and women whom have gone on to 
become leaders in a variety of fields.
  More recently, under the steady hand of its president, Dr. John 
Roush, Centre College broke onto the national stage in 2000 when it 
hosted the Vice-Presidential debate between Dick Cheney and our 
colleague Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.
  When you consider the fact that it also holds a national record in 
annual alumni contributions, it is little wonder that Forbes magazine 
recently named Centre College as the top college in the South for a 
second year in a row. As the article begins, ``If you're accepted to be 
a student at the best college in the South, you are guaranteed an 
internship, the opportunity to study abroad and graduation within four 
years--or the school will pay for an additional year of tuition-free 
study.''
  So it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Centre College 
in Danville, KY.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the relevant portion of 
the Forbes article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record as follows:

                 [From Forbes Magazine, Nov. 12, 2010]

                     The Best Colleges in the South

                          (By Jacquelyn Smith)

       If you're accepted to be a student at the best college in 
     the South, you are guaranteed an internship, the opportunity 
     to study abroad and graduation within four years--or the 
     school will pay for an additional year of tuition-free study.
       The benefits of attending the best college in the South 
     don't even stop when you receive your diploma. Within 10 
     months of graduation, 98% of the college's students, on 
     average, are employed or engaged in advanced study. Upon 
     graduating you become part of the nation's most loyal and 
     generous group of alumni.
       Located in the heart of Kentucky, Centre College has 1,197 
     undergraduate students and more than 100 faculty members, 98% 
     of whom hold the highest degrees in their fields.
       ``My time at Centre has been highlighted by the professors 
     and mentors who have guided me and the unique experiences 
     I've taken part in,'' says Paul Adams, a 21-year-old senior 
     from Chicago.
       In the last decade alone, Centre produced 17 Fulbright 
     scholars, five Goldwater scholars, two Rhodes scholars and a 
     Truman scholar. Its alumni include two U.S. vice presidents, 
     a chief justice of the United States, 13 U.S. senators and 43 
     U.S. representatives.
       ``The education is intense and challenging, but also 
     supportive,'' says the college's communications director, 
     Mike Norris. ``We have students saying, `I've found myself 
     doing things at Centre that I would have never even aspired 
     to do.' Our students achieve beyond what they ever thought 
     possible.''
       More than 85 percent of Centre's students study abroad, and 
     to emphasize its commitment to global citizenship, the 
     college recently implemented a program that provides a free 
     passport to all first-year students who don't already have 
     one.
       ``Even though we're just a small college in Kentucky, 
     Centre students are doing great things--studying abroad in 
     Mexico, China, England, France, Spain, Vietnam, Israel, 
     Africa, the Bahamas and many more places worldwide, taking on 
     the challenges of society in our classrooms and across 
     campus, and generally making a difference,'' says Elizabeth 
     Trollinger, a 21-year-old senior from Kentucky. ``Centre is a 
     place where we are given countless chances to become active 
     members of our society and community, and we know we'll be 
     able to effectively use the knowledge and skills we acquire 
     in our four years here, no matter what comes after Centre.''
       Over the last 25 years, Centre alumni have led the nation 
     in loyalty, in terms of the percentage of graduates who make 
     financial donations each year. ``The entire Centre community 
     seems to be knit together by two strands,'' Adams says, ``a 
     firm commitment to a meaningful education and an unwavering 
     passion for Centre herself. And for the

[[Page S8115]]

     past three years, I've found myself happily woven into her 
     fabric.''
       Centre is also the 24th best college in America overall, 
     according to Forbes and the Center for College Affordability 
     and Productivity's ranking of America's Best Colleges, which 
     was published in August. The list ranks U.S. undergraduate 
     institutions by the quality of the education they provide, 
     the experiences of their students, the amount of debt 
     students graduate with and how much they achieve. To 
     determine the best schools in the South, we narrowed that 
     list according to the regional divisions used by the U.S. 
     Census Bureau; that means schools in the South are located in 
     Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, 
     Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, 
     North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, 
     Virginia and West Virginia.

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