[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 141 (Thursday, October 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO DR. ARNOLD L. MITCHEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2013

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Arnold L. 
Mitchem, the founding president of the Council for Opportunity in 
Education. On October 1, 2013, Dr. Arnold L. Mitchem stepped down and 
assumed the position of President Emeritus.
  Dr. Mitchem has been a voice for low-income, first-generation 
students, individuals with disabilities, adult learners, and veterans 
throughout his entire career. The mission of the Council for 
Opportunity in Education (COE) is to advance and defend the ideal of 
equal educational opportunity in postsecondary education. COE is the 
core advocacy and professional group for the federal TRIO programs, 
which consist of nearly 2,800 federally funded college opportunity 
programs at more than 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide.
  Dr. Mitchem's knowledge of grassroots organizing and understanding of 
the political landscape at the local, national, and international level 
has propelled COE to become the ``voice for college opportunity.'' He 
introduced the concept of ``first-generation students'' through his 
Congressional testimony in the late 1970s--and the term was 
incorporated into the Education Amendments of 1980. Dr. Mitchem has 
testified before Congress more than a dozen times to share his 
expertise on education reform, the importance of a quality education, 
and student loan issues.
  Dr. Mitchem is a member of the Executive Committee of the European 
Access Network and serves on the Board of Trustees for Marquette 
University. He is a former trustee of the College Board; past president 
of the Committee for Education Funding, a Washington, D.C.-based 
coalition of national education associations; and served on INROADS, 
Inc.'s first national board. Dr. Mitchem is also the recipient of both 
the 2013 Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education from the 
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the 
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' Award of Excellence 
(2013).
  Because of his tireless advocacy for underrepresented students, Dr. 
Mitchem was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic 
Association of Colleges and Universities, and honorary doctorates from 
10 universities. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The 
New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes.com, The 
Huffington Post, and numerous other print and online publications.
  Dr. Mitchem began his career on the history faculty at Marquette 
University, where he was later named director of Marquette's 
Educational Opportunity Program. Dr. Mitchem served in that role until 
1986, when he moved to Washington, D.C. to assume the presidency of the 
Council for Opportunity in Education. He holds a bachelor's degree from 
the University of Southern Colorado, did graduate work in European 
history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, and 
earned a Ph.D. in foundations of education from Marquette University.
  Mr. Speaker I am honored to recognize Dr. Mitchem for all he has done 
to improve the life outcomes of disadvantaged students. He has left an 
indelible mark in the lives of so many, including my own. I feel 
blessed to call him my mentor and my friend.

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