[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 168 (Wednesday, October 23, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6088-S6089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               100TH ANNIVERSARY OF KETTERING UNIVERSITY

 Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 100th 
anniversary of Kettering University. Located in the heart of Flint, MI, 
Kettering University provides world-class education and has helped 
propel students into careers that sit on the forefront of innovation.
  In 1919, in the infancy of what would become the automotive 
stronghold within Southeast Michigan, Kettering University began as the 
School of Automobile Trades, eventually renamed the Flint Institute of 
Technology, under the direction of Mr. Albert Sobey, who trained 
mechanics and engineers for Buick.
  The General Motors Corporation would then take over administering the 
institute, establishing the General Motors Institute, GMI. The 
institute continued to train not only engineers and mechanics but also 
managers and administrative staff. This training was highly successful, 
and in 1945, GMI added a fifth-year thesis requirement and became a 
degree-granting college.
  Due to innovation through the 1950s and 1960s, GMI continued to 
evolve with the inclusion of majors such as electrical engineering and 
added over 70 new courses. Presidents Guy R. Cowing and Harold P. 
Rodes--who updated labs, equipment, and began building the campus as we 
know it today--added buildings such as the Campus Center and Thompson 
Residence Hall.
  In the early 1980s, GM divested itself, which led to GMI becoming a 
private, nonproft university, but it was not until 1998 that the 
institution changed its name a final time to honor one of the founders 
of the institution, Charles Kettering, who was an early and strong 
proponent of professional cooperative education. Kettering University 
continued to grow and develop as technologies and advancements changed 
throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.
  Today, Kettering University offers a variety of programs in addition 
to engineering related programs which include pre-med, bioinformatics, 
engineering, physics, and the expansion of their business program, 
including a master of business administration degree. Kettering 
University continues to evolve to meet the needs of a technology-
infused and rapidly changing society, whether in the automotive 
industry or in science and business. This includes new projects such as 
the GM Mobility Research Center and ventures into autonomous vehicles 
as well as artificial intelligence.
  In addition to their academic initiatives, Kettering University has 
consistently given back to the Flint community through service and 
community engagement. Kettering helped establish the University Avenue 
Corridor Coalition to beautify and draw investment to the area. 
Students continue to give back through community service, whether it is 
helping to clean up a yard or engineering a solution to aid the greater 
community. During the height of the Flint water crisis, when the 
community was in dire need of assistance, a group of Kettering's 
engineering students took action and developed an adapter to allow 
water filters to be accommodated to all types of faucets.
  Kettering University has become a hub of modernization and 
inventiveness, proven by their ranking as fourth in the country in 
producing alumni who hold patents. Kettering's alumni have become 
leaders in a variety of fields and lead notable organizations such as 
Henry Juszkiewicz, who is the former chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, 
James McCaslin, former President and COO of Harley-Davidson

[[Page S6089]]

Motor Company, and Mary Barra, current chairman and CEO of General 
Motors Corporation. Kettering's graduates have reshaped industries and 
continue to do so today.
  Throughout its 100-year history, Kettering University has fostered an 
environment of innovation, ingenuity, and community. The university is 
deeply rooted in the city of Flint and has been an indispensable 
partner in the city's development and renewal. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing this important milestone in the history of 
Kettering University as it celebrates its centennial.

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