[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING MONTEREY PENINSULA COLLEGE

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                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 13, 2022

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monterey 
Peninsula College as it celebrates 75 years of commitment to higher 
learning and service to the central coast of California. Since its 
establishment in 1947, Monterey Peninsula College has continued to 
provide transformative educational opportunities to students.
  Monterey Peninsula College first began instruction in 1947 at 
Monterey High School. The next year, 280 students enrolled at the 
college's Fremont Street campus, and in 1949, 34 students were the 
first to graduate from this college by the Bay. By 1957, Monterey 
Peninsula College celebrated a milestone as it enrolled 1,000 students, 
and the College embarked on expanding its campus to include a library, 
arts and music center, athletic swimming pool, theater, and instruction 
buildings in the years that followed. The Library and Technology Center 
opened in 2003 and four years later, the College celebrated the first 
day of classes at the new Education Center in Marina.
  Monterey Peninsula College continues to expand educational 
opportunities for its ever-growing student population. From 1971 to 
1973, Monterey Peninsula College operated an extension campus at Fort 
Ord, which greatly benefitted Armed Forces personnel and their 
families. From 1982 until 1993, a partnership between the College and 
the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula created the Maurine 
Church Coburn School of Nursing. This continued expansion of its 
facilities and programs ensures students at Monterey Peninsula College 
have access to high-quality education and post-graduate opportunities.
  Monterey Peninsula College's illustrious history includes visits and 
recognition from many renowned educators, athletes, and activists. In 
1960, the former First Lady and civil rights activist Eleanor Roosevelt 
spoke at the College, followed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the 
following year. American activist Rosa Parks also spoke at the campus 
in 1990, bolstering the impressive history of this institution as well 
as its goal to enrich students' educations.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in congratulating Monterey Peninsula College 
and its remarkable rise from its humble beginnings in Monterey High 
School to becoming a respected institution. I personally extend my 
gratitude to Monterey Peninsula College's administration, instructors, 
leaders, and visionaries who continue to provide its students with 
life-changing opportunities and experiences.

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