[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 83 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF UCLA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 17, 2019

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate 
the 100th anniversary of the founding of the University of California, 
Los Angeles. What was once the largest teacher training school in the 
state was rechristened the Southern Branch of the University of 
California, developing into the full-fledged university, nestled in the 
hills of Westwood, with the global reputation it enjoys today.
  With 14 Nobel Laureates, 13 MacArthur Fellows, nine National Medal of 
Science Winners, three Pulitzer Prize winners, a Fields Medal, and an 
A.M. Turing Award, UCLA's academic credentials are rivaled by few. And, 
with 117 NCAA team championships and 261 Olympic Medals, the UCLA 
Bruins are in the highest echelon of collegiate sports, with the likes 
of Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Michelle Kwan, and Troy Aikman 
wearing the Blue and Gold.
  Along the way to such a historic milestone, each successive class of 
students and their professors, doctors and researchers have lit new 
paths, bringing new discoveries to the fore and making groundbreaking 
accomplishments in almost every field.
  The first node on the Internet in Leonard Kleinrock's laboratory in 
Boelter Hall; Coach John Wooden's almost uninterrupted streak of 10 
NCAA men's basketball championships and his Pyramid of Success--
building blocks in the pursuit of excellence; the first diagnosis of 
AIDS in the United States; and the first confirmation of the existence 
of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milkey Way Galaxy by 
Andrea Ghez--UCLA has played an important role in shaping the course of 
history, advancing our understanding of the natural and man-made 
worlds, and setting standards time and time again for academic and 
athletic excellence.
  Not only is the UCLA community proud of the accomplishments of its 
students and athletes while they attended this important institution, 
but also of the achievements of alumni as they pursue careers in every 
field.
  UCLA has contributed many of this country's most dedicated public 
servants, including my predecessor, Congressman Henry Waxman, whose 40-
year record in the U.S. House of Representatives saw passage of 
numerous consumer and patient protections; Ralph Bunche, who helped 
negotiate an end to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War; and Tom Bradley, the 
first African American mayor of Los Angeles. Legendary actress and 
comedienne Carol Burnett, Academy Award-winning director Dustin Lance 
Black, Academy Award-winner Tim Robbins, film composer John Williams, 
and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jim Morrison are only a few of the 
Bruins who have left their mark on the entertainment industry and the 
collective consciousness of American culture for the past century.
  Given all that has happened in the first 100 years of UCLA's 
existence, I eagerly look forward to what UCLA will accomplish in its 
next hundred. With the launch of the UCLA Grand Challenges Initiatives 
in 2013, UCLA has set admirable goals aimed at increasing 
sustainability and tackling depressive disorders. The Sustainable LA 
Grand Challenge focuses on transitioning Los Angeles to rely on 100 
percent renewable energy and 100 percent locally sourced water by 2050, 
enhancing the health of the local ecosystem and making the region a 
model for the world. The Depression Grand Challenge aims to understand, 
prevent, and treat depression, ultimately cutting the burden in half by 
2050 and eliminating it by the end of the century.
  UCLA's accomplishments would only be possible with the support and 
resources of the Bruin family. I would like to commend Chancellor Gene 
Block on his successful stewardship of the Centennial Campaign, which 
raised $4.7 billion in total from more than 205,000 donors to fund 
programs for students and faculty in every comer of campus.
  On the eve of UCLA's centennial, I would like to extend my sincerest 
congratulations to Chancellor Block, UC President Janet Napolitano, and 
the rest of the UCLA community as they prepare for a year of 
celebration. I would also like to recognize all the people in UCLA's 
history that worked to make sure the university could light the way for 
the past century and the next 100 years to come. Go Bruins.

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