[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 176 (Monday, December 7, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRIBUTE TO DR. EUGENE McKAY

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I wish to honor today Chancellor 
Eugene McKay of Arkansas State University-Beebe. Chancellor McKay will 
be retiring at the end of December after nearly half a century of 
dedication to education, the university, and the State of Arkansas.
  Chancellor McKay has been a fixture at ASU-Beebe since 1966. He 
started as a professor of English and French, became vice chancellor of 
academic affairs and, in 1994, was named chancellor.
  During his time with ASU-Beebe, Chancellor McKay oversaw an extensive 
campus renovation and expansion. Under his leadership, enrollment 
nearly tripled, and the ASU-Beebe campus had the highest student 
success rate of any Arkansas institution of higher education.
  His passion helped improve higher education across Arkansas. In 1999, 
he founded ASU-Heber Springs, and he worked with ASU-Newport to become 
a stand-alone institution in 2001.
  Chancellor McKay's dedication to his community extended beyond the 
campus. In addition to serving on the Arkansas Community College Board, 
he also served with the Beebe Chamber of Commerce, the Beebe Economic 
Development Commission, and United Way of White County, to name a few.
  Retirement won't slow him down. Chancellor McKay plans to continue to 
challenge himself by taking yoga and mathematics classes.
  I congratulate Chancellor McKay for his outstanding achievements in 
education and thank him for his service to ASU-Beebe and the countless 
students he impacted. I was proud to support his efforts to foster 
growth at the university and help make his vision for a campus 
emergency alert system a reality. I greatly appreciate his commitment 
to the university and higher education and wish him continued success 
in all of his endeavors. ASU-Beebe has benefited greatly from his 
leadership and dedication.

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