[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S695-S696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. LARRY D. TYLER

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a 
distinguished Kentuckian, a pillar of the Louisville community and a 
fixture at the University of Louisville, and a very good friend of 
mine. Dr. Larry D. Tyler is a professor of engineering fundamentals, 
and this year he celebrates 50 years of service with UofL's J.B. Speed 
School of Engineering.
  Dr. Tyler earned his original appointment at UofL as an engineering 
instructor in 1963. He received tenure in 1970. He has taught more than 
30 different courses in the fields of engineering mathematics and 
mechanical, industrial, chemical, and civil engineering. He has created 
innovative instructional methodologies for core engineering mathematics 
courses, including early detection of prerequisite weaknesses.
  Dr. Tyler has earned all of his degrees at the University of 
Louisville: his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, a 
master's in mathematics, a master's of mechanical engineering, and a 
Ph.D. in engineering and physics. Along the way he has been published 
in peer-review journals and presented at international conferences on 
engineering design and automation. He won the Speed School's 
Outstanding Teacher Award in 1975, 1980, and 1983, the University 
Faculty Favorite Award in 2007, the Speed School Alumni Outstanding 
Teaching Award in 2007, the University of Louisville's Distinguished 
Teaching Award in 2008, and the Departmental Professor of the Year 
Award in 2012.
  Larry has served as a faculty advisor to many fraternity student 
chapters, and here I should mention that Larry and I are old friends. 
Not only did we attend UofL together as undergraduates, we were both 
members of Phi Tau fraternity together; in fact, we were in the same 
pledge class. So I've had the pleasure of seeing Larry grow into the 
incredibly accomplished and respected professor that we knew he was 
always meant to be.
  Larry, it has been a privilege to walk alongside you for these many 
years. I know that we both care deeply about our wonderful hometown of 
Louisville, and we have both dedicated our careers

[[Page S696]]

to serving the people of Louisville and giving back to this city by our 
own contribution. On this occasion to celebrate your success, I say, 
well done.
  Larry's teaching philosophy is to be both student- and content-
centered, in order to instill the qualities of desire, determination, 
and dedication in his students because, as he says, ``success in any 
endeavor requires all three.'' The life and career of Dr. Tyler is 
certainly proof that if you have those three qualities, you can go very 
far.
  Mr. President, I would ask my U.S. Senate colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the accomplishments of Dr. Larry D. Tyler, and 
congratulating him upon his 50 years of successful service with UofL's 
J.B. Speed School of Engineering. I hope he continues to lead our 
university and our city onward and upward for many years to come.

                          ____________________