[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING CAROLINE MASON FOR HER LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING 
                          ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2023

  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Caroline B. Mason 
for her extraordinary lifetime and legacy of public service and 
leadership in education.
  A dedicated, lifelong scholar, Caroline proudly earned her 
undergraduate degree from Denison University and master's degree from 
Case Western University. Additionally, she pursued graduate studies at 
University College Dublin in Ireland, one of Europe's pre-eminent 
research-intensive universities.
  Caroline began her teaching career in the classroom at the all-girls 
Laurel School and continued to excel as an instructor in classrooms at 
hallowed educational institutions including the Boston Conservatory of 
Music and Harvard College. Known for her academic rigor and leadership, 
Caroline was appointed to serve as principal at the all-girls Mount 
Saint Mary High School. Caroline continued her pursuit of academic 
excellence as Head's Fellow at the Klingenstein Institute Teacher's 
College at Columbia University.
  In 1993, Caroline was appointed Head of School for Albany Academy for 
Girls, the oldest continuous all-girls school in the United States 
founded in 1814. During her tenure, Caroline increased enrollment, 
brought fiscal discipline, strengthened the curriculum, developed a 
comprehensive faculty evaluation program, constructed the new library, 
gymnasium, and Slingerland Wing. She strengthened cherished Academy 
traditions such as Bacon Bat, ring sisters, the 4th and 8th grade 
plays, Wassail, Thanksgiving lunch, senior May term, and senior 
speeches. Caroline brightened the hallways with fresh flowers, art 
exhibition posters, and warmly greeted the students at the curb every 
morning with a welcoming smile. Perhaps above all, she invested in 
extraordinary faculty to instill intellectual rigor, challenging 
curriculum standards, and true academic excellence. She frequently sat 
in to observe students and teachers in classrooms. Caroline was 
formative and determinative to what it means to be an ``Academy Girl'' 
for thousands of girls and women.
  In 2003, due to her effective leadership, Caroline was appointed to 
Head of School for Albany Academy earning the distinction of being the 
only individual to head two schools simultaneously. She combined the 
academic departments under a single head ensuring that course standards 
were equal, increased enrollment, and organized the multi-disciplinary 
Melville Symposium and the Memorial Day Chapel Service. Caroline 
stepped down as Head of Schools in 2007 and she remains deeply 
dedicated to the Albany Academies community.
  On behalf of the United States Congress and New York's 21st District, 
I am honored to recognize Caroline's immense contribution to academic 
excellence and the pursuit of the American Dream for tens of thousands 
of students. Caroline embodies what it means to be a patriotic American 
who has given so much of her intellectual gifts to generations of young 
students who excel as leaders in all fields today. We, and I, cannot 
thank her enough for her lifetime of service.

                          ____________________