[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME DU LAC ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 170 
                      YEARS IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE DONNELLY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 12, 2012

  Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today joined by members 
of the Indiana delegation, Senators Dan Coats and Richard Lugar, 
Representatives Larry Bucshon, Dan Burton, Andre Carson, Mike Pence, 
Todd Rokita, Marlin Stutzman, Pete Visclosky, and Todd Young to honor 
The University of Notre Dame du Lac on the occasion of its 170 years in 
South Bend, Indiana. The University has made significant contributions 
to the United States of America since its founding in 1842 by Rev. 
Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C. Fortified by a deep faith in God and an 
unwavering commitment to the common good, the University has impacted 
the Nation's history, its educational accomplishments, and its outreach 
and ministry to the vulnerable and the poor.
  As Fr. Sorin sought to bridge the education gap in the expanding 
frontier, he began a history that intertwined with and influenced the 
history of our Nation. During World War II, Notre Dame established a 
Naval center that trained 12,000 officers in South Bend, Indiana, an 
episode that is commemorated yearly in a respectful football rivalry.
  Notre Dame has been a leader in promoting diversity in higher 
education and American culture, especially the pioneering work of Fr. 
Theodore Hesburgh as the guiding voice of the Civil Rights Commission 
that crafted the framework to end segregation with the Civil Rights Act 
of 1964. An association with the Peace Corps goes back to the agency's 
founding in 1961, when the first volunteers were trained on campus 
under the strong support of Fr. Hesburgh; since then, more than 800 
Notre Dame graduates have entered the Peace Corps, more than from any 
other Catholic college or university.
  Notre Dame's dedication to educational excellence is reflected in its 
highly ranked Mendoza College of Business and Law School in addition to 
a well-regarded School of Architecture. Its research programs have made 
great contributions to national science and health over the years, 
ranging from the discovery of synthetic rubber by Fr. Julius Nieuwland 
in the 1920's to the mapping of the mosquito genome in this century as 
a way to prevent the spread of malaria and other diseases. More 
recently, the Nuclear Science Laboratory began construction on a new 
nuclear accelerator, the first accelerator the National Science 
Foundation has funded in nuclear physics in nearly a quarter century.
  The University encourages research and innovation as evidenced by 
Innovation Park at Notre Dame which connects aspiring innovators with 
Notre Dame faculty, students and resources, collaborates with industry 
experts, and supports entrepreneurs.
  Notre Dame continues to build on its inspiring legacy of service 
which has left a positive and lasting impact on the soul of this Nation 
for over 170 years. Its Summer Service Learning Program has provided 
some 4,000 undergraduate students with a scholarship to perform eight 
weeks of community service in the communities of Notre Dame alumni 
clubs across the Nation. The Alliance for Catholic Education, ACE, 
sends nearly 200 recent graduates each year to teach in about 100 
understaffed Catholic schools across the country.
  The administrators, faculty, students and graduates, have provided 
leadership that has helped shape our Nation--and the world--with 
approximately eighty percent (80%) of Notre Dame students active in 
social service each year through the University's Center for Social 
Concerns. In addition, the Notre Dame family contributes more than 
400,000 hours of volunteer service each academic year.
  The University's mission is to cultivate in its students not only an 
appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a 
love of God and a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, 
and oppression that burden the lives of so many. Its aim is to create a 
sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will 
bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice. Notre Dame makes our 
Nation stronger and deserves our deepest appreciation.
  Once again, we offer congratulations to the University of Notre Dame 
and join the Northern Indiana Center for History as they celebrate 
Notre Dame's 170 years of vision, leadership, and engagement in the 
community, the State, the country, and the world.

                          ____________________