[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 46 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE 115TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAN FRANCISCO STATE 
                               UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 24, 2014

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 115th anniversary of San 
Francisco State University. The San Francisco State Normal School, a 
small women's-only teaching academy, opened its doors in March 1899. 
With a $10,000 stipend from the State Legislature, the school rented a 
building on Powell Street and offered free tuition. The first 
graduating class was made up of just 36 women with the motto 
Experientia docet--``Experience teaches.''
  During the 1906 earthquake, the SF State Normal School was destroyed. 
Relocating at a new site on Market Street, SF State Normal School was 
the first public school to re-open after the destruction of the 
earthquake. In 1921, SF State Normal School changed its name to San 
Francisco Teachers' College and received authorization to grant the 
Bachelor of Arts degree
  In the 1930s, the college chose the colors purple and gold. With 
sports becoming more popular at SF State, the student newspaper, ``Bay 
Leaf,'' called for the school to adopt a mascot. A reader proposed the 
alligator because ``it is strong, and we hope our teams have 
strength.''
  In 1935, SF State Teachers College changed its name to San Francisco 
State College. The influx of returning WWII veterans swelled the 
student population from 1,117 in 1945 to 4,390 in 1950. To accommodate 
the growing number of students, 56 acres of land near Lake Merced was 
purchased to replace the cramped and aging campus.
  During the 60s, SF State became the center of student activism. When 
the House Un-American Activities Committee met in San Francisco, 
students from SF State demonstrated and disrupted the Committee's 
hearings in City Hall. The students were fire-hosed down the steps and 
arrested. Student sit-ins at the Administration Building protested 
racial discrimination, the Vietnam War, and the draft, pressing for 
campus reform.
  Events came to a head in 1968, with the beginning of the longest 
campus strike in the nation's history. This five-month event defined 
the University's core values of equality and social justice, laying the 
groundwork for establishment of the only College of Ethnic Studies in 
the United States.
  In 1972, San Francisco State College briefly changed its name to 
California State University, San Francisco. The name changed when 
Governor Ronald Reagan signed a measure officially changing the name to 
San Francisco State University in 1974.
  In the 80s, SF State became the first major university to select a 
President of Chinese-American heritage. President Chia-Wei Woo is a 
symbol of SF State's continual progressive attitude that has 
represented the larger San Francisco community. By the millennium, SF 
State garnered a reputation for having several prestigious educational 
programs, with some of the finest trained faculty in the world.
  Robert A. Corrigan served as the 12th president of San Francisco 
State University from September 1988 to July 2012. President Corrigan 
became one of the longest-serving university presidents in the 
education system of the United States. Under his direction, SF State 
developed into a respected institution with the highest ranking in the 
nation for the number of international students at a comprehensive 
university. Under President Corrigan's leadership, SF State increased 
its grant funding. The campus had just $9 million in federal research 
grants and contracts when he first arrived, but by the time he left, SF 
State had $53 million. SF State also expanded its campus with the 
creation of the downtown campus at Westfield San Francisco Centre mall. 
I had the privilege of working with President Corrigan during my tenure 
in Congress and he has left a lasting legacy.
  Leslie E. Wong joined San Francisco State University as its 13th 
president in August of 2012. He now oversees one of the nation's 
premier urban comprehensive universities. President Wong has hit the 
ground running and is frequently seen on campus cheering on student 
athletes, academic competitors and performers. He endowed the Leslie 
and Phyllis Wong Scholarship as a cornerstone of the campus-wide 
Students First Scholarship Campaign. Having partnered with President 
Wong on numerous campus events and activities, I know President Wong 
will continue to lead SF State into a prosperous future.
  Veterans make up a good portion of the student population at the 
university. SF State has stayed true to its commitment in helping 
active duty members and veterans of military service attain their 
educational goals. On November 10, 2010, the Veterans Services Center 
opened its doors and has brought together a range of veterans' support 
services under one roof, including pre-admissions counseling, 
educational benefits assistance as well as a study area with computer 
workstations. I had the distinct honor of meeting several of these 
student veterans and thanking them for their service.
  Notable alumni of San Francisco State include business leaders, 
elected officials, award winning authors, journalists, film stars, 
athletes, musicians, doctors, and scientists. This list grows with 
every graduating class. Though the school's name, mascot, and location 
have all changed, San Francisco State University remains committed to 
public education 115 years later. Today, SF State offers more than 200 
degrees and certificates and serves nearly 30,000 students each year--
quite a different story when compared to the humble beginnings of the 
University.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
commend the San Francisco State University for its dedication to higher 
education.

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