[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 6, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3488-H3489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN HONOR OF GAYLEN BYKER
(Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. I wish you could meet my friend, Dr. Gaylen
Byker, a truly renaissance man who was born in Iowa but raised in
Hudsonville, Michigan, which is in my district, where he grew up in a
family that was very entrepreneurial and very politically involved. His
father actually served as a State senator, Gary Byker.
Gaylen attended Calvin College, where he is now President, and earned
a BA with concentrations in philosophy, English, political science, and
speech, with a minor in Russian. He also entered the Army in 1967 and
served in Vietnam, and he was discharged with the rank of captain. He
went on to earn a law degree at the University of Michigan and then his
master's degree in world politics at Michigan as well. After that, he
decided he needed to get his Ph.D. in international relations from
Pennsylvania.
He then served and worked at an energy exploration company out of
Houston. He worked on Wall Street, both on energy as well as in
derivatives and futures. He then served as a lawyer in Philadelphia. He
has been involved in numerous organizations and volunteer
opportunities, including the Ruffed Grouse Society of the United
States.
He is an avid hunter--and a pretty good shot as well, I might add. He
became president of Calvin College in 1995, where he has served it
since then for the last 17 years. Gaylen is truly a person who has left
a place better than when he found it.
Dr. Byker, we just want to say thank you for your service to Calvin
College in the greater community in west Michigan.
[[Page H3489]]
____________________