[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 50 (Thursday, April 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN TRIBUTE TO DR. ARNOLD MITCHEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 7, 2011

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Arnold Mitchem, 
who is being honored by my alma mater, Marquette University, on April 
29, 2011, as Alumnus of the Year. Over a 40-year career span, Dr. 
Mitchem, the first and only President for the Council for Opportunity 
in Education has been a voice for low-income, first-generation college 
students and individuals with disabilities.
  In fact, his career began on the History faculty at Marquette 
University in Milwaukee. In 1969, he was named director of the 
Educational Opportunity Program at Marquette, serving in that role 
until 1986, when he relocated to Washington, DC to represent low-income 
and disabled students nationally. Thanks to his work, the federally 
funded TRIO Programs (the largest discretionary program in the U.S. 
Department of Education) have expanded by nearly 400 percent and now 
serves more than 872,000 students at 1,200 colleges and universities.
  Dr. Mitchem graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in 
1965. Before receiving his Ph.D. in Foundations of Education at 
Marquette University in 1981, he studied European History as a Woodrow 
Wilson Fellow at the University of Wisconsin. He is married to his soul 
mate, Freda Mitchem, and has four children and seven grandchildren.
  Dr. Mitchem is a member of the Executive Committee of the European 
Access Network as well as a former trustee of the College Board, and 
past-president of the Committee for Education Funding, a Washington-
based coalition of national education associations. He currently serves 
on the Board of Trustees of Marquette University. Dr. Mitchem has been 
awarded honorary doctorates from eight universities, including: St. 
Louis University; CUNY-Lehman College in New York; DePaul University; 
and the University of Liverpool, England.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize my friend, Dr. Mitchem. He 
recruited, nurtured and continues to mentor me and countless other 
former Marquette University students who had the privilege of coming 
under his influence. Dr. Mitchem's true legacy is the millions of 
students who have achieved an education due in no small part to his 
advocacy on their behalf. The citizens of the fourth congressional 
district, the State of Wisconsin and the nation have benefited 
tremendously from his dedicated service. I am honored for these reasons 
to pay tribute to Dr. Mitchem.

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