[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 135 (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CENTENNIAL OF MADISON COLLEGE

 Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I am honored to have the opportunity 
to congratulate Madison College on their centennial celebration marking 
100 years of providing high quality education to students in my State.
  Wisconsin was the first State to establish schools for technical and 
vocational education. Madison College, founded in 1912 as the Madison 
Continuation School, was opened to provide vocational education to 
students who dropped out of school. School administrators also targeted 
adult workers to help them maintain and flourish in their current jobs 
and also work toward obtaining new ones by providing the classes to 
help them do so. Throughout the years, Madison College tailored its 
educational role by responding to the Great Depression with increased 
craft specialty offerings, such as millinery and woodworking, and later 
in the post-World War II era, with the help of Federal funding, by 
honing workers' skills necessary for wartime jobs.
  The focus and plan to ensure that every person gets a high-quality 
education remain true today at this fine institution. Currently, 
Madison College operates 12 locations in Madison and 4 regional 
campuses throughout a 12-county district in order to offer a wide 
variety of educational opportunities to the greatest number of students 
possible. Today, Madison College continues to add new programs, such as 
biotechnology and renewable energy, to keep up with the trends of the 
21st century and continue to live up to their mission.
  For a century of service I commend Madison College and recognize the 
faculty, students, alumni, and communities they call home. In these 
tough economic times, access to high-quality education and workforce 
development are critically important to our State and country finding 
our way to better financial times. Madison College has stood the test 
of time as well as economic cycles. I am honored to recognize Madison 
College on its centennial celebration and for all it has done for the 
State of Wisconsin and its citizens.

                          ____________________