[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1367-E1368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING ALAN AND SALLY MERTEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2014

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize George Mason 
University President Emeritus Dr. Alan Merten and his wife, Sally. In 
June, I had the pleasure of attending a dedication naming the 
university's new senior administration building ``Alan and Sally Merten 
Hall.''
  Dr. Merten served as George Mason University's president for 16 
years, stepping down in 2012. This dedication is a fitting tribute to 
the Mertens, a pair who worked tirelessly for the better part of two 
decades promoting, growing and improving George Mason University. As a 
result of Alan and Sally's efforts, the university has become one of 
Virginia's greatest schools, as well as a nationally and 
internationally recognized center of academic and research excellence.
  Current George Mason President Angel Cabrera honored the Mertens' 
service to the George Mason community at the June 23 ceremony. 
President Cabrera and former Board of Visitors rector, Edwin Meese III, 
lauded the Mertens' contributions to the school and to the community, 
and I was allowed to offer a few words as well. I always enjoyed 
working with Dr. Merten and was grateful for the opportunity to speak 
on my relationship with Alan and Sally, as well as my appreciation for 
their commitment to the school and leadership in the community.
  As stated in the resolution used to enact the dedication, the 
Mertens' legacy includes four endowed scholarships and numerous gifts 
to university building and program funds. There is no doubt that George 
Mason is a better institution for the Mertens' efforts. I hope they 
will remain active in the George Mason community for many years to 
come.
  I respectfully submit George Mason University's ``Resolution to 
Rename University Hall'' and the following news article from George 
Mason University on the ceremony.

 Resolution To Rename University Hall in Honor of Alan and Sally Merten

       Whereas, George Mason University President Emeritus Dr. 
     Alan G. Merten led the university with distinction for 16 
     years, during which time he launched an ambitious

[[Page E1368]]

     and successful program to build the school into a major 
     teaching and research university; and
       Whereas, under Alan Merten's leadership, George Mason 
     University became the largest research university in the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, with increasingly nationally and 
     internationally highly ranked programs; and
       Whereas, Mrs. Sally Merten, the former first lady of George 
     Mason University, was instrumental in bringing the community 
     and the university closer together, serving on several 
     community nonprofit boards during her husband's tenure as 
     president, including Fall for the Book, as well as several 
     university advisory boards; and
       Whereas, Sally Merten actively participated in university 
     life, especially employee recognition events; and
       Whereas, together Alan and Sally Merten have been generous 
     donors to the university, establishing four endowed 
     scholarships: the G. Louise and Anthony J. Otto Endowed 
     Scholarship in Creative Writing; the Eric G. and Melissa H. 
     Merten Endowed Scholarship; the Ruth A. and Gilbert E. Merten 
     Endowed Scholarship; and the Kathleen A. Lieder and Lloyd C. 
     Fell Student Scholarship Endowment in Music Performance/Vocal 
     Studies; and
       Whereas, the Mertens have made significant gifts to a 
     number of other university funds, including the Patriot Club, 
     the Long and Kimmy Nguyen Engineering Building, and Mason 
     arts programs; and
       Whereas, the Mertens remain active and engaged members of 
     the surrounding community, thus continuing to serve as 
     ``ambassadors'' of the university; Now, be it therefore
       Resolved that the building on the Fairfax Campus now known 
     as University Hall be named Alan and Sally Merten Hall in 
     recognition of the Mertens' many contributions to George 
     Mason University; be it further
       Resolved that this resolution be entered into the minutes 
     of the George Mason University Board of Visitors this day, 
     May 7, 2014.
       (SEAL)

                                           C. Daniel Clemente,

                                   Rector, George Mason University
     Board of Visitors.
                                  ____


            George Mason Unveils Alan and Sally Merten Hall

                         (By Preston Williams)

       On Monday, George Mason University dedicated Alan and Sally 
     Merten Hall in a building renaming ceremony attended by 
     hundreds of members of the Mason community and several 
     integral figures from the university's history.
       Alan Merten was Mason's fifth president, serving from 1996 
     to 2012. Merten Hall is the new name for what formerly was 
     called University Hall, one of many structures erected during 
     the Mertens' dynamic 16-year tenure.
       ``When I travel around the region, the country or the world 
     and people ask me what I'm most proud of with respect to 
     what's happened at George Mason,'' Alan Merten told the 
     attendees, ``the answer is always I'm proud of the pride that 
     people have in this institution as a result of what we've all 
     done.
       ``What kept me going--what keeps us all going--is stamina, 
     passion and a caring attitude. That's what got George Mason 
     going. That's what will keep George Mason going,'' Merten 
     added before exiting to a standing ovation at the outdoor 
     ceremony on the grounds outside Merten Hall.
       Merten's successor as Mason president, Angel Cabrera, 
     hailed the Mertens' leadership of making ``one smart decision 
     at a time'' and said that renaming the building in their 
     honor was symbolic of their many contributions to the 
     university.
       ``It is a reminder of how much these two individuals gave 
     of their time tirelessly and how they helped George Mason be 
     what it is today,'' said Cabrera, whose office has been 
     relocated to Merten Hall, on the north end of the Fairfax 
     Campus.
       Two guests in particular added historical insight to the 
     Mertens' tenure. Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf, who taught 
     at the university in the late 1970s, and the former Board of 
     Visitors rector, Edwin Meese III, cited the joint efforts of 
     the Mertens as crucial to the university's growth, not only 
     in size and enrollment but in stature as the largest public 
     research university in the state.
       ``It's become one of the great universities in the 
     commonwealth and one of the great universities in our country 
     and it's all because of the great work--and they work as a 
     team--Alan and Sally have done,'' Wolf said.
       Meese's first year on the Board of Visitors coincided with 
     the Mertens' first year in office. They built a strong 
     partnership.
       ``It is said that a great institution is the length and 
     shadow of its leadership,'' said Meese, the former attorney 
     general under Ronald Reagan. ``And that's certainly true in 
     this case. . . . The beneficial shadow of your leadership is 
     now permanently inscribed in the form of this building. 
     You've made [the university] the knowledge and cultural 
     centerpiece of Northern Virginia.''
       The current Board of Visitors rector, C. Daniel Clemente, 
     read aloud the board resolution that formally proposed 
     renaming the building Alan and Sally Merten Hall.
       The Mertens remain active on campus and serve in a variety 
     of roles for the university. They have endowed four 
     scholarships.

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