[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF EVELYN KEISER

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 14, 2014

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am truly honored to rise 
today and recognize Mrs. Evelyn Keiser on the occasion of her 90th 
birthday, which was on January 12, 2014.
  Evelyn was born Evelyn Cahn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1924. 
She graduated from Temple University with a bachelor of science degree 
in Medical Technology, one of only a few women in what was then a 
predominately male field of study. As a military wife, she traveled 
throughout the United States where her education and ambition for the 
medical field led to her employment in several hospitals and medical 
labs.
  After World War II, she returned to Philadelphia and opened her own 
medical lab, which she operated for more than 12 years. As the demands 
of motherhood increased, Evelyn sold her medical lab and embarked on a 
rewarding teaching career. She joined the Franklin School of Sciences 
and led the Medical Sciences and Lab Technology programs. In 1961, she 
moved to South Florida to head the medical program at Charron-Williams 
College in Fort Lauderdale.
  In 1977, with her son Dr. Arthur Keiser, she opened the Keiser School 
on Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale with one student and 2,400 
square feet of classrooms.
  The Keiser School name progression from Keiser Institute of 
Technology (1982) to Keiser College (1986) and Keiser University (2006) 
reflects milestones that include new degree programs, multiple branch 
campuses, accreditation achievements, and the addition of the Graduate 
School offering Master's degrees.
  In 1981, another dream of hers became a reality when the Medical 
Laboratory Technician program was added to the Keiser School course 
offerings. Evelyn assumed the teaching and faculty development 
responsibilities. Under her direction, the program received 
accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical 
Laboratory Sciences, confirming the highest quality in medical 
laboratory academics and training.
  More than 25 years later, although no longer teaching, she continues 
to advise faculty and serve as an advocate for students.
  Nearly three decades later, Evelyn is still active in the university, 
serving as Chairwoman of the Board of Advisors. At 90 years young, and 
37 years after co-founding Keiser University, she is often the first on 
campus each morning.
  Throughout her lifelong career in medical labs and in higher 
education, Evelyn has been awarded honors too numerous to list, 
including ``Teacher of the Year'' and ``Educator of the Year.'' In 
February 2004, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Beijing 
University, citing her commitment to educational articulation 
agreements between China and the United States.
  To the faculty and administration of Keiser University, Evelyn Keiser 
sets the example that all students deserve the highest quality of 
academic instruction. As a result, the University's top teaching honor 
awarded to faculty members that have excelled in a proactive teaching 
approach focused on successful learning outcomes is entitled, ``The 
Evelyn C. Keiser Teaching Excellence Award.''
  Today, Keiser University serves 20,000 students on 15 Florida 
campuses and internationally, as well as offers approximately 90 
doctoral through associate degrees, and employs nearly 3,500 staff and 
faculty.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the great privilege of knowing Evelyn Keiser 
for over 30 years. She has been a wonderful friend to me. I am so happy 
to be able to honor her on the occasion of her 90th birthday, and wish 
her many more years of happiness and success.

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