[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1117-S1118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

 Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I recognize Marshall 
University, which this week celebrates its 50th year as a designated 
``university.'' Founded in 1837, Marshall is the oldest public 
institution of higher education in the State of West Virginia. However, 
the granting of university status to the school formerly known as 
Marshall College did not occur until March 2, 1961.
  The change from ``college'' to ``university'' was far more than a 
shift in nomenclature. Marshall's greatest champions--including Dr. 
Stewart H. Smith, president of Marshall from 1946 to 1968; State 
legislators and the local community--had to overcome entrenched beliefs 
that West Virginia did not need another large university.
  Marshall's supporters made a strong case for the school, which was 
growing in enrollment as well as offering many academic programs and 
advanced degrees. The institution earned ``university status,'' which 
recognized its role as an advanced institution of higher learning in 
the state, and all of West Virginia has benefited as a result.
  Marshall University now educates more than 14,000 students at campus 
locations in Huntington, Point Pleasant, South Charleston, Beckley, 
Logan and Gilbert, offering degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, 
master's and doctoral levels. The school boasts 90,000 proud alumni 
around the world.
  For every dollar the State of West Virginia invests in Marshall 
University, the school generates more than

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$20 in economic impact, resulting in the generation of $1.5 billion per 
year in economic impact. This figure has tripled since 2005.
  Marshall offers 159 majors and 105 degrees through its 12 colleges. 
The school has earned a national reputation for its research in 
biotechnology, forensic science, and medicine, and is currently 
launching a new School of Pharmacy, which will create good-paying jobs 
and generate an estimated $150 million economic impact. The Robert C. 
Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing is providing 
services to all 55 State counties and expertise to 5,250 small and 
medium-sized manufacturers that employ more than 81,000 individuals 
across West Virginia. Marshall University's medical and health science 
schools and departments train hundreds of West Virginians to serve as 
doctors, nurses, therapists and health technicians each year.
  As your U.S. Senator, it is truly my honor to extend my most sincere 
congratulations to Marshall on its 50th anniversary of becoming a 
university.

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