[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. JULIETA GARCIA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VICENTE GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2022

  Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Dr. Julieta Garcia, who recently was awarded the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian honor. Dr. Garcia was the first 
Mexican American woman to serve as a college president in the United 
States.
  A native of Brownsville, Texas, Dr. Garcia received her Ph.D. in 
communication and linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin 
and her M.A. and B.A. in speech and English from the University of 
Houston. Dr. Garcia has devoted her life's work to bringing equitable 
education and opportunity to South Texas, leading the way for higher 
education innovation.
  Dr. Garcia served as President of Texas Southmost College (TSC) from 
1986 to 1991, where she successfully led a $13.5 million general 
obligation bond election, the first in the history of the college. 
During her tenure at Texas Southmost, she led a successful campaign to 
raise $1 million for scholarships in the poorest community in the 
United States, helping local students gain access to education.
  She also spearheaded efforts to establish a program between Texas 
Southmost College and University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), 
allowing students in the region to pursue doctoral degrees. Garcia 
became the president of this unique partnership from 1991 to 2013. Over 
the course of her leadership, the institution doubled the number of 
degree programs offered, doubled the number of full-time faculty, grew 
enrollment by two and a half times, and tripled the number of degrees 
conferred annually.
  Dr. Garcia was named the 2009 Time Magazine Top 10 College President, 
2014 Forbes Magazine Top 50 World Leader, and holds honorary degrees 
from the University of Notre Dame, Brown University, Smith College, and 
Princeton University. She also is the recipient of an ACE Lifetime 
Achievement Award and has been inducted in the Texas Women's Hall of 
Fame.
  Madam Speaker, Dr. Julieta Garcia is an incredible leader with an 
unwavering commitment to accessible education and her legacy will be 
remembered for generations to come. She has enriched the lives of many 
South Texas students, and I am proud to recognize her latest 
achievement today.

                          ____________________