[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E84-E85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ON THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS 
                                FOUNDING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, on January 23, 1789, America's first 
Bishop, the Reverend John Carroll, S.J., secured the deed to a plot of 
land overlooking the Potomac River in the State of Maryland to move 
forward in establishing what is today Georgetown University. That was 
225 years ago this month and it occurred during the same year that 
these United States were formed. That was more than coincidence, but 
instead a recognition that an educated population would be critical to 
the success of this new nation.
   A few years earlier, Father Carroll had laid out his vision for an 
``Academy at George-Town, Potowmack River, Maryland.'' As he explained 
it in that document, Georgetown was

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to be a place where ``. . . an undivided Attention may be given to the 
Cultivation of Virtue, and literary Improvement; and that a System of 
Discipline may be introduced and preserved, incompatible with Indolence 
and Inattention in the Professor, or with incorrigible Habits of 
Immorality in the Student.'' In short, his vision was for a place of 
serious learning which also reflected Jesuit values. Beyond that, 
Father Carroll made clear that he intended for the institution ``to 
agreeably to the liberal Principle of our Constitution, . . . be open 
to Students of EVERY RELIGIOUS PROFESSION.'' The emphasis was his, and, 
fortunately, that emphasis on diversity has been carried forward not 
only with regard to religious belief, but also in terms of geographic, 
ethnic and cultural aspects.
   Indeed, when students first began studying at Georgetown in 1792, 
the student body included both U.S. and international students. That 
tradition has continued and evolved over the last two-plus centuries. 
Today, among the nearly 18,000 students who are enrolled at 
Georgetown--including undergraduate, graduate, medical and law 
students, students come from all fifty of the states of this country, 
as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and from 141 countries around 
the globe. Clearly, Georgetown is a national and a global university 
today. Over recent years, it has consistently ranked among the most 
highly regarded post-secondary institutions in the United States.
   Since its founding and the granting of the federal charter by 
legislation enacted by this Congress in 1815 to ``the College of 
Georgetown in the District of Columbia,'' the University has grown and 
incorporated new components. In 1850, the Georgetown Medical School was 
established, and, in 1870, the Georgetown University Law Center began 
operation. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the Georgetown 
University School of Dentistry was established (1901), followed shortly 
thereafter with the opening of the ``Georgetown Training School for 
Nurses.'' In 1919, the Walsh School of Foreign Service was established, 
followed by the Institute for Languages and Linguistics in 1949 and the 
McDonough School of Business in 1957. Just this year, the University's 
Public Policy Institute became the McCourt School of Public Policy.
   Indeed, this institution, which I am proud to call my alma mater, is 
a University that has remained true to its founding principles while 
evolving to reflect the changes that have taken place in this nation 
and, indeed, internationally. Having begun my own studies at Georgetown 
nearly six decades ago and maintaining ongoing contact with the 
University since that time, I can attest to the University's commitment 
to addressing the challenges faced by our society and its consistent 
focus on developing students who are ready to contribute to future 
prosperity and positive civic leadership.
   There is no doubt that Georgetown has left an indelible mark on my 
life and my career in public service. Indeed, the University's Mission 
Statement identifies Georgetown as committed to educating women and men 
``to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live 
generously in service to others.'' Today, fourteen members of the House 
of Representatives, of both political parties and wide ranging 
political philosophies, hold Georgetown degrees. Likewise, six current 
United States Senators hold Georgetown diplomas. The same can be said 
of governors, cabinet secretaries and a large number of members of our 
diplomatic corps. Though we do not all agree on many policy issues, we 
all have been imbued with a commitment to public service that is an 
intrinsic part of what a Georgetown education is all about.
   I am grateful to have had the opportunity to study at Georgetown and 
to have witnessed its ongoing progress. I am proud to call the 
University's President, Dr. John DeGioia, a friend. He is indeed an 
exemplary leader for the University and in American higher education. 
To President DeGioia and everyone else with any tie to Georgetown, I 
extend hearty congratulations on this occasion and best wishes for the 
century ahead which will, no doubt, build on its sustaining traditions 
and its adaptability.

                          ____________________