[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1793-S1794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 438--COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Ms. Harris) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 438
Whereas Congress enacted the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly
known as the ``First Morrill Act'') (12 Stat. 503, chapter
130; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), to allow for the establishment of
land-grant colleges offering programs teaching agriculture
and the mechanic arts;
Whereas on March 23, 1868, the State of California enacted
the Organic Act, which--
(1) established the University of California (referred to
in this preamble as the ``University''); and
(2) entrusted the organization and government of the
University to a corporate body entitled the Regents of the
University;
Whereas in 1869 the University opened in Oakland,
California, and had an inaugural class of 40 students and 10
faculty members;
Whereas, since 1869, the University has grown to include a
total of 10 campuses in the following cities: San Francisco;
Berkeley; Davis; Los Angeles; Santa Barbara; Riverside; San
Diego; Santa Cruz; Irvine; and Merced;
Whereas, as of 2018, the University has more than 273,000
enrolled students and employs more than 223,300 faculty,
staff, and other academics;
Whereas the University has graduated more than 2,000,000
living alumni;
Whereas in 1870 the University decreed that the University
would admit women and men equally;
Whereas the University has 5 academic medical centers,
which include 6 medical schools, 12 public hospitals, and 18
health professional schools;
Whereas the University is affiliated with--
(1) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, since 1931;
(2) Los Alamos National Laboratory, since 1943; and
(3) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, since 1952;
Whereas these 3 national laboratories are--
(1) working to create advanced new tools for scientific
discovery;
(2) enabling transformational solutions for health and the
environment;
(3) enhancing the defense of the United States while
reducing the global threat from terrorism; and
(4) addressing other emerging national security and energy
challenges;
Whereas, due to the commitment of the University to
diversity and to providing access to higher education to all
qualified students in the State of California, the University
currently enrolls the highest number of resident
undergraduates in the history of the University;
Whereas the faculty of the University is internationally
renowned for scholarly and scientific achievements, and has
helped maintain the prestige and quality of education of the
University during decades of social and technological change;
Whereas in 1939 University professor E. O. Lawrence
received the first Nobel Prize of the University for
inventing the cyclotron;
Whereas 61 faculty members associated with the University
have won Nobel Prizes;
Whereas the faculty and alumni of the University include
hundreds of MacArthur ``Genius'' grant winners, Pulitzer
Prize winners,
[[Page S1794]]
Fulbright Award recipients, National Medal of Science
winners, prominent policy makers, athletes, and thespians;
Whereas the University established the fields of nuclear
physics and biotechnology, revolutionized agriculture, and
helped the movie industry mature;
Whereas the University, through faculty and alumni,
continues to drive technological innovation and actively
partners with private industry; and
Whereas the University continues to address the most
pressing issues in the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates the University of California (referred to
in this resolving clause as the ``University'') on the 150th
anniversary of the founding of the University;
(2) recognizes and celebrates the 150 years of history,
legacy, and achievements of the University;
(3) recognizes the achievements of all of the
administrators, professors, students, and staff members who
have contributed to the success of the University;
(4) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to ensuring
access to a quality and affordable higher education across
the United States; and
(5) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
(A) the President of the University; and
(B) the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic
Affairs of the University.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution
that honors one of the most venerable institutions in our State: the
University of California.
The resolution before us commemorates the one hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of the founding of the University of California, a
noteworthy milestone that must be celebrated by recognizing all of the
achievements. I would like to thank my dear friend, Senator Harris, for
joining me and supporting this endeavor.
Throughout its history, the University of California has become a
foundation, and a beacon of hope, for the State of California and the
Nation as a whole. It embraces the same spirit and tenacity that
defines our great State.
The University of California has grown from one campus in Berkeley to
a system of 10 top-ranked universities, five notable and top-notch
academic medical centers, and three affiliated National Laboratories,
all impacting far reaches of the State.
We should recognize the University of California for what it is: the
finest and most accessible public university system in this country. It
was established on the premise that college is for everyone and
designed with every Californian in mind. That is why the University of
California's Board of Regents in 1870 decreed that women be admitted
equally with men, 50 years before the adoption of the Nineteenth
Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
Diversity has always been a cornerstone of the University of
California. Because of its progressive and forward-thinking ways,
notable alumni include Jackie Robinson, who shattered the Major League
Baseball's color barrier; Sally Ride, the first American woman in
space; and the countless number of students and faculty members who are
the first generation in their families to attend college.
Today, the University of California has more than 273,000 enrolled
students and employs more than 223,300 faculty, staff, and other
academics. It has graduated more than two million living alumni.
The University of California is also a national leader in scientific
discovery and medical advancement, enabling transformational solutions
for healthcare and the environment, enhancing our Nation's defense
while reducing the global threat from terrorism, and addressing other
emerging national security and energy challenges. It established itself
in the fields of nuclear physics and biotechnology, revolutionized
agriculture, and helped the movie industry mature, all of which are now
multi-billion-dollar industries. Through its faculty and alumni, the
University continues to drive technological innovation and actively
partner with the private sector.
Mr. President, before I yield the floor, I would like to end with a
small anecdote. Every year in our household, we always look forward to
the ``Big Game.'' For the uninitiated, this is the biggest college
football game of the year: the Stanford Cardinal versus the California
Golden Bears. This is the oldest college football rivalry in the West,
which began in 1892, and still continues to this day. I do not hold it
against those who attended Berkeley, but I will be happy to gloat when
my Cardinal beat the Bears. I am not one to boast, but it must be noted
that Stanford has won more ``Big Games'' than Berkeley.
All quips aside, as we commemorate this momentous occasion in the
storied history that is the University of California, we must remember
the past and present, with an eye towards the future. The challenges
before it are great, but the potential that lies within itself is even
greater. I know and believe that the University of California will
continue to push boundaries, explore the great unknown, stand up for
American values, and continue to solve the world's most complex
problems. Here is to another exceptional 150 years.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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