[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 153 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE OF WICHITA STATE EMERITUS PROFESSOR MELVIN KAHN

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                             HON. RON ESTES

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2023

  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Wichita 
State Emeritus Professor Melvin Kahn, who sadly passed away this month 
at the age of 92.
  For over 5 decades, Professor Kahn served as one of Wichita State's 
most highly acclaimed political science professors. Along with 
authoring 2 books on complex case studies in political science, 
Professor Kahn received many accolades and honors throughout his 
academic career. He received the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement 
Award in 2018, the WSU Mortar Board Teaching Recognition Award in 2012, 
the WSU Academy of Excellence Teaching Award in 2007, Carnegie 
Foundation Kansas Professor of the Year in 1989, and the Regents' Award 
for Excellence in Teaching, WSU, in 1982. Further, Professor Kahn and 
his wife Joan also founded the Joan & Melvin Kahn Native American 
Indian Scholarship, which is given to a Native American student who 
exhibits a successful high school performance, college potential, 
leadership qualities, and financial need.
  Beyond the awards and recognition he received, Professor Kahn's 
legacy is also the hundreds of students he inspired to pursue careers 
in public service. Through the Robert J. Dole Internship Program, 
Professor Kahn assisted students in finding meaningful internships and 
enhancing their education by serving their community at the federal, 
state, and local levels. I am proud to have had the privilege of 
employing several of these bright young Kansans in my office.
  Professor Kahn firmly believed that, in the words of Aristotle, ``the 
mind is a fire to be lit and not a vessel to be filled,'' and the true 
measure of a teacher is challenging students' minds and encouraging 
them to go out and see the world on their own. He will be missed by all 
who knew him, and his memory will go on in those he inspired.

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