[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 87 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1120-E1121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN RECOGNITION OF AND APPRECIATION FOR ROBERT VAN CAMP

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Mr. Robert Van Camp 
as he retires from his 40-year career as a pioneer in education, valued 
mentor and dedicated global citizen.
  Mr. Van Camp is, and always will be, an educator in the broadest 
sense of the word. Bob was raised with his brother John on a working 
farm in the iconic village of Romeo, Michigan. The 19th century 
farmhouse, in its rambling fields and rural setting, belied their 
exceptional upbringing. The farm was a frequent gathering place for 
progressive minds of the time, including the Reuther brothers, and 
nascent causes like the Macomb County Interracial Society. The family 
frequently housed exchange students from Africa and helped found the 
first integrated Cub Scout den in Macomb County. Their mother, Dorothy, 
was a graduate of Columbia Teacher College, one of just 13 women 
charter members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers and a fierce 
opponent of book censorship during her tenure on the Romeo Library 
Board of Directors.
  Imbued with the values of equality and fairness, and inspired by his 
mother's devotion to education, Bob understood he was a citizen and 
student of the world. This understanding shaped the path of his life. 
More significantly, it shaped his life's work and touched thousands of 
young people who have been inspired to look beyond their home towns to 
build bridges to other lands and cultures in their own lives.

[[Page E1121]]

  Bob began his formal career at American University in Cairo, Egypt, 
after graduating from Central Michigan University. Three years later, 
he returned home and settled his career in the fast-growing Utica 
Community School (UCS) district. Much of his career at Utica was spent 
as the venerated, respected, and highly successful debate and 
communications coach at Henry Ford II High School. He coached numerous 
teams and individuals to debate and forensics state championships and 
was inducted into the Michigan Speech Coaches Hall of Fame in 1983. His 
debate colleagues knew him as a fierce competitor and a voracious 
researcher with a nearly photographic memory. But above all, he was 
ethical, principled and always put first the education and care of the 
young people in his charge.
  In 1984, Bob and his wife, Dr. Donna McMinn, embarked on a new 
chapter in their lives by moving to Japan where Bob became an English 
and communications instructor.
  Inspired by the experience and potential to enrich the lives of young 
people back home, they returned to Michigan and Bob established the 
pioneering East Asian Institute at UCS. For nearly 10 years, countless 
students from Michigan and Japan spent time in one another's homes and 
schools as exchange students, building cultural bridges and 
relationships that endure today.
  In 1994, the broader educational community took note of Bob's 
exceptional dedication and innovative work. He was honored as a 
Michigan Teacher of the Year by the state, Macomb County Teacher of the 
Year by WDIV-Newsweek and Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Council 
for Social Studies.
  For the next 15 years, Bob served as a UCS administrator in a variety 
of roles and shaped curricula for all Utica Schools' students. Among 
the most innovative programs he spearheaded was the Utica Academy for 
International Studies, an IB Diploma Programme, and the Utica Center 
for Science and Industry. Additionally, Bob was the initial project 
director of a Department of Defense grant to establish a Chinese 
immersion program for UCS students starting in kindergarten. Thanks to 
Bob's vision, dedication and tireless advocacy, the Utica Schools 
remain on the cutting edge of cultural exchange and language programs 
in the State of Michigan. This ``renaissance man'' of education will 
truly be missed by his many colleagues and admirers in UCS and beyond.
  Throughout his rich and varied career, Bob has helped shape the 
development and lives of thousands of young people whose own careers 
have taken them across the globe. At his retirement party tomorrow 
evening, many of his former students and debaters will gather from 
around the country to express their appreciation for his inimitable 
guidance and friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me as I salute Robert Van 
Camp, a shining example of the most dedicated of teachers, mentors and 
visionaries for education in Michigan, and indeed, around the globe. 
Although Bob will undoubtedly enjoy his retirement with Donna and their 
menagerie of animals on Stonecroft Farm, I hope in the next chapter of 
his life, he continues his work of building bridges to other cultures 
and countries and enriching the lives of young people everywhere.

                          ____________________