[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    TRIBUTE TO FRANK AND ANN GILMORE

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, Henry Ford once said, ``Anyone who 
stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps 
learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind 
young.''
  On October 12, 2012, Montana Tech in Butte, MT, will honor two people 
who embody that very spirit: Frank and Ann Gilmore. As reflected in 
their stories, both Frank and Anne recognize the importance of 
education and giving back to society.
  A Mississippi native, Dr. Frank Gilmore sought educational 
opportunities early and often. He was the first member of his family to 
earn a college degree. Frank's intellectual curiosity paved the way for 
an impressive academic career, one that includes studies at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Frank 
obtained a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Virginia Military 
Institute, and then went on to earn his Ph.D. in organic chemistry with 
a minor in industrial relations at MIT. His career in higher education 
began in 1967 at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Gilmore then taught 
at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and finally 
joined Montana Tech in 1998 as chancellor.
  Montana Tech has earned a reputation as one of the finest science, 
engineering, and technical colleges in the world, and much of its 
success can be attributed to the incredible leadership under Dr. Frank 
Gilmore. Under Dr. Gilmore's chancellorship, The Princeton Review 
selected Montana Tech as one of its ``Best 368 Colleges'' for 11 
consecutive years. One of Dr. Gilmore's proudest accomplishments is 
improving Montana Tech's efforts to find students employment before 
they even graduate.
  During Frank's time as chancellor, Montana Tech boasted placement 
rates for its graduates between 93 and 98 percent. And, lucky for us, 
70 to 80 percent of Tech graduates chose to remain and work in Montana.
  Frank's dedication to his students went far beyond the classroom. I 
proudly partnered with Montana Tech in 2007 and 2010 to organize the 
Montana Economic Development Summits. We could not have asked for a 
better host than Montana Tech. Frank proudly offered the campus to hold 
workshops and host some of the world's most influential business and 
economic leaders. The connections made at Montana Tech during those 
summits have yielded untold investment and job opportunities for 
Montanans.
  Not only is Dr. Gilmore's career in education inspiring, he also 
served his country with distinction in the military. He first served as 
a Marine Corps reservist when he was a teenager, then as an Active-Duty 
soldier in the Army, and finally as a captain in the Army Reserve.
  This past year, Frank was appointed as president of the Barry M. 
Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The 
Goldwater Foundation was established to encourage college students to 
pursue science, math, and engineering. I proudly advocated for Dr. 
Gilmore's appointment, as I cannot think of anyone more qualified to 
lead these efforts.
  Ann Louise Gauthier Gilmore was also the first in her family to earn 
a college degree. She received her bachelor's degree in dietetics from 
the University of Northern Colorado. Like Frank, she also honorably 
served in our Nation's military.
  Ann joined the U.S. Army in 1961 and completed her dietetic 
internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. She 
continued to serve our Nation in the Army Medical Corps until her 
honorable discharge in 1963 as a first lieutenant.
  Not only has Ann demonstrated a life-long commitment to education and 
to our country, she has directed her talents toward serving her 
community. Ann worked with the Women, Infants and Children, WIC, 
Program in Mississippi, the PEO, Philanthropic Educational 
Organization, a sisterhood committed to empowering women through 
education, and served on the board of the Butte Symphony Orchestra.
  Frank and Ann's stories give us hope that there are dedicated, hard-
working folks in our schools, providing our children with the tools 
they need to succeed. In a world more competitive than ever before, it 
is essential that we provide all Montanans with a world-class 
education. Investing in Montana's young minds is the best way to keep 
us competitive with our global neighbors and to ensure a solid economic 
future.
  Thanks to the community's overwhelming generosity and support, 
Montana Tech constructed a new university center to honor Frank and Ann 
Gilmore. The new Frank & Ann Gilmore University Relations Center serves 
both students and alumni. The center provides a much-needed venue for 
students to meet their future employers, as well as place for alumni to 
convene and reminisce about their time at Montana Tech.
  As we all can see, both Frank and Anne possess an insatiable hunger 
for education which they have used to better their community. The 
University of Montana, the Butte and Anaconda communities, and 
especially the Montana Tech students, faculty, and staff, all know that 
with people like Frank and Ann, Montana will continue to become an even 
better place to live, work, and raise a family.

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