[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 142 (Friday, October 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1487-E1488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 11, 2013

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
50th anniversary of Northwest Florida State College located in 
Niceville, Florida. Throughout the past 50 years, its faculty and 
students have exhibited an assiduous dedication to excellence that has 
led to the college's growth from its beginnings as a junior college 
with a makeshift campus to now a state college with seven campuses and 
centers and six bachelor's degree programs. I am proud to congratulate 
them on this great achievement.
   Access to education is one of the most vital components for a 
successful society, and in the spring of 1963, the Florida Legislature, 
recognizing the opportunity to better serve the educational needs of 
the citizens in Northwest Florida, authorized the establishment of a 
junior college to be located in Okaloosa County. Originally named the 
Okaloosa-Walton Junior College, its doors opened for the first time to 
767 students in a temporary location in the City of Valparaiso, Florida 
on August 24, 1964. In honor of the heroism of the Doolittle Raiders, 
the students chose ``Raiders'' as their college's official mascot.
   Just a few years and an Act of Congress later, the permanent home 
for the college in Niceville was established. In 2004, the college name 
was officially changed to Okaloosa-Walton College in reflection of the 
new accreditation to award bachelor's degrees, and in 2008, it was 
changed to Northwest Florida State College, upon the creation of the 
Florida College System.
   While its name and structure has evolved throughout its 50-year 
history, students have never stopped pouring through its doors. 
Students of all ages made the college their alma-mater, whether high 
school students taking dual enrollment courses or adults simply 
interested in expanding their knowledge in a variety of areas. Fifty 
years; seven locations; numerous state, regional, and national athletic 
titles; and more than 350,000 students later, Northwest Florida State 
College is recognized for its cultural enrichment and stellar 
educational opportunities provided to the Northwest Florida community.
   Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it is an honor 
for me to rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of Northwest 
Florida State College. My wife Vicki and I join the citizens of 
Northwest Florida in congratulating the faculty, students, and alumni 
of the

[[Page E1488]]

college on its golden anniversary. We wish them many more years of 
continued success.

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