[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E64-E65]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF GEORGETOWN 
                               UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MICK MULVANEY

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 14, 2014

  Mr. MULVANEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I 
rise today to bring to my colleagues' attention the 225th anniversary 
of the founding of Georgetown University. As a proud alumnus of the 
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, I will always know 
that the University and these United States began together in 1789. The 
University's founding is tied to the first deed of property from which 
the current University took shape on January 23, 1789--acquired by

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Bishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States and 
the University's founder.
   From that date forward, Georgetown's growth and that of our nation 
have been intertwined. I am proud that the University's federal 
charter--the second such charter approved by Congress after that of the 
U. S. Military Academy--was proposed in legislation introduced by one 
of the University's first students, Congressman William Gaston of North 
Carolina. As a Carolinian myself, I have to say, from the beginning, 
Georgetown was off on the right footing. It is fitting that the 
University's main lecture hall bears the name Gaston Hall.
   Our school colors have roots deep in our nation's history as well. 
During the Civil War more than 1,000 Georgetown alumni served in both 
the Union and Confederate armies. The blue and the gray, then, reflect 
the divided allegiances of both students and alumni during that war.
   Today, the student body is comprised of students from every state 
and from 141 nations around the globe.
   I am heartened that Georgetown has remained true to the Roman 
Catholic and Jesuit values on which it was founded. The University 
prides itself as a place of vigorous dialogue. It pushes students to 
pursue lives enriched by research and scholarship. I am happy to say 
that, since my election to Congress, I have had several opportunities 
to explore some of the issues we are working on in the House of 
Representatives with faculty who have deep and valuable knowledge on 
these topics.
   I was lucky to study at Georgetown under professors such as Madeline 
Albright and Fr. James Reddington. They made me think and challenge my 
assumptions. They helped me grow and shaped my subsequent career. 
Certainly, Georgetown's commitment to encouraging students to explore 
public service is reflected in its Mission Statement which ends with an 
admonition to those who have studied there ``to be reflective lifelong 
learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and 
to live generously in service to others.'' It is not surprising then 
that, since William Gaston entered Congress in 1814, over 150 
Georgetown alumni and faculty members have served in the U. S. 
Congress. Others have served as President, governors, cabinet 
secretaries, judges and as senior diplomats around the globe. Likewise, 
the University is equally proud of alumni who have gone on to be 
leaders in their communities in fields such as business, arts, health 
care or the law.
   It is an honor to recognize Georgetown on this occasion of its 225th 
``birthday,'' but, more importantly, to wish my alma mater great 
progress in the centuries ahead.

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