[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING 50 YEARS OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Southwest Wisconsin 
Technical College for providing opportunities for success through 
education for 50 years.
   Before the first shovel of dirt was unearthed in a cornfield outside 
of Fennimore no one could have imagined what would someday stand there 
almost 50 years later; Wisconsin's No. 1 and the nation's No. 3 rated 
two-year college in 2017.
   Founded in 1967, Southwest Tech is located in Fennimore, Wisconsin. 
Reflecting the job demand of the time, degree programs started with 
Auto-Tractor Mechanics and Welding programs, as well as Account Clerk 
and Clerk-Typists classes. As the economy changed, the college added 
degrees in Criminal Justice, Nursing, Physical Therapy Assistant, 
Midwifery, Web and Graphic Design, and Network Specialist.
   The first graduation was in May 1969, with 104 graduates 
representing six programs. The May 2017 graduation had 366 graduates 
representing 41 programs. Southwest Tech has graduated 26,000 students 
in its history.
   Southwest Tech is also a major employer in Grant County employing 
324 people and working with numerous businesses in a nine county area. 
It is one of 16 two-year public open access institutions within the 
Wisconsin Technical College System. The college serves 3,800 square 
miles including 30 school districts in a five-county district of 
Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland and portions of Dane, Green, 
Sauk and Vernon Counties.
   The college is currently under the leadership of President, Dr. 
Jason Wood. The first president of the college was Conrad Mayer, 
followed by Ronald Anderson, Dr. Richard Rogers, Dr. Karen Knox and Dr. 
Duane Ford.
   Now, in 2017, Southwest Tech is proud to celebrate the many ways the 
College's mission and its graduates positively impact southwest 
Wisconsin. Thousands of Southwest Tech employees, partners, and 
supporters deliver excellence to their students, businesses, and 
communities. Because of their tireless efforts, they have forever 
changed the lives of those the college serves. Southwest Tech's 50th 
Anniversary is an exciting opportunity to reflect on the past, 
celebrate the present and move forward with a renewed dedication to 
students and southwest Wisconsin.
   I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the past and present 
faculty, staff, and students on 50 years of valuable and skillful 
higher education. Thanks to the efforts of current administration and 
those that have come before, Southwest Tech will continue to lead the 
way into the future.

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