[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF MISSOURI 
                  UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2020

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 150th 
anniversary of the founding of Missouri University of Science and 
Technology (Missouri S&T). Missouri S&T was originally established in 
1870 as the University of Missouri School of Miners and Metallurgy, and 
it was the first technical institute west of the Mississippi River. In 
the last 150 years, Missouri S&T has grown into a world-class 
engineering school. While its name has changed over time, its focus has 
remained the same: to prepare the best young minds in Missouri and 
around the world to tackle the challenging technical demands of the 
modern era.
   Missouri S&T students achieve a level of success that is unmatched, 
in large part because of campus programs that emphasize practical 
experience. This enables S&T graduates to combine their studies with 
real-world practice and execution and prepare for the workforce. For 
instance, students can compete on one of 18 competitive ``design 
teams'' to build optimized models of systems such as a Baja off-roader 
or an underwater robot. The skills learned in these applied programs 
benefit S&T students after graduation, and 92 percent of recent 
graduates find employment or gain admission to additional schooling 
within 6 months of graduation.
   Being a student at Missouri S&T is both work and play. One fun 
tradition at S&T is to put on two full weeks of celebrations for St. 
Patrick's Day--St. Patrick being the patron saint of engineers. This 
tradition has been going on for 112 years, and preparation for the two 
weeks of celebration takes place all year, during which Miners count 
down to the next ``Greatest St. Pats Ever.'' A wagon with St. Pat 
aboard leads the annual parade through Rolla with families and alumni 
lining the street to greet the figure. After the two-hour parade, 
festivities kick off with concerts and food vendors, and they go 
through the night.
   I'm proud to represent Missouri S&T and honored to commemorate the 
150th anniversary of its founding. Miners makes our community better, 
and after graduation, they work in the defense, engineering, 
technology, and other sectors to make our workforce and country better. 
For Missouri S&T, the past 150 years have been bright, and I hope the 
next 150 years will be even brighter.

                          ____________________