[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 48 (Thursday, April 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S2587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Pennsylvania 
State University as the school celebrates 150 years of history. April 
1, 2013, marked this monumental anniversary when Pennsylvania 
designated the then-Agricultural College of Pennsylvania to be the sole 
land grant college in the Commonwealth. Of course the Agricultural 
College would eventually become Pennsylvania State College in 1874 and 
Pennsylvania State University in 1953.
  While maintaining its agriculture base, Penn State expanded its focus 
shortly after opening its doors to students and began offering degrees 
in liberal arts and other fields. Notably, Penn State quickly became 
one of the Nation's largest engineering schools in the late 19th 
century.
  Today, the Pennsylvania State University is the largest university in 
the Commonwealth and grants more baccalaureate degrees than any other 
school in Pennsylvania, and it has one of the largest graduate schools 
in the country. In all, Penn State offers students the opportunity to 
pursue studies in more than 150 different disciplines. Penn State 
graduates have gone on to great success in agriculture, engineering, 
business, law, medicine, academia, government, and sports. Enrollment 
at Penn State's 20 undergraduate campuses, the World Campus, the 
Graduate School, the Dickinson School of Law, the College of Medicine, 
and the College of Technology is approaching 100,000. Penn State can 
boast that 1 in every 117 Americans with a college degree is an alumni 
of Pennsylvania State University. That is quite an achievement. It has 
been a great success, and has served Pennsylvania, and the Nation, 
well.
  Penn State has also created an environment that promotes the 
importance of public service and volunteer work. Most notably, Penn 
State students participate in an annual fundraiser known as THON, which 
benefits pediatric cancer care and research. THON culminates each year 
with a multiday dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center. Since its 
inception in 1977, THON has raised more than $100 million. In 2013 
alone, THON raised nearly $12.5 million for pediatric cancer. These 
fundraising efforts are truly remarkable and Penn State students should 
be proud of all they have done to help children and families who are 
fighting pediatric cancer.
  In addition to THON, Penn State University also hosts annual events 
such as Ag Progress Days, the Engineering Design Showcase, and the Arts 
Festival Weekend. All of these events bring together Penn State 
students, alumni, and other interested parties by providing a forum 
where relevant technological advances in the related fields, best 
business practices between interacting disciplines and creative 
innovation can be shared and displayed for the betterment of all 
involved.
  Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I should recognize the 
outstanding faculty who make Penn State what it is. The faculty at Penn 
State are leaders in their respective fields and conduct cutting edge 
research in numerous disciplines. The success of the university is 
dependent on the high quality faculty who dedicated their lives to 
academia, and all of the Penn State faculty should be proud of their 
accomplishments. They are educating the next generation of leaders, 
and, through their research, are bettering the lives of people 
throughout the Commonwealth, Nation, and the world.
  Again, I want to congratulate Pennsylvania State University on 
reaching this milestone. You make the Commonwealth a better place, and 
I am confident the next 150 years of accomplishments will be even 
greater than the last.

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