[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21755-21756]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               TRIBUTE TO THE ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 1999

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, fifty years ago, Bishop Apollinaris 
William Baumgartner laid the groundwork for the establishment of the 
Academy of Our Lady of Guam. With the assistance of my aunt, Sister 
Mary Inez Underwood, the Academy first opened its doors on September 8, 
1949--the first class consisting of 36 freshmen who received classroom 
instruction from within a section of the Agana Cathedral Activities 
Hall. Within that hall, the students developed skills in the sciences, 
mathematics, language and fine arts under the able direction of the 
Sisters of Mercy.
  Under Monsignor Felixberto Camacho Flores, the future Archbishop of 
Agana, construction of a permanent structure for the school

[[Page 21756]]

commenced in 1960. Since then, the Academy has attained high standards 
of education and has been at the forefront in delivering quality 
educational services to the young women of Guam. From an initial 
enrollment of 36 students in 1949, the student body now consists of 
over 400 young women. In 1973, it became the first high school on Guam 
to receive full accreditation. Under the Western Association of Schools 
and Colleges, the Academy has gone through the accreditation process 
four times since--the last being in March of 1996.
  Through the years, the Academy has distinguished itself as one of the 
finest college and career-bound preparatory schools on Guam and the 
Western Pacific. Due to the school's high academic standards, Academy 
students have brought honors to the island of Guam. As presidential 
scholars, national merit scholars and national and international sports 
competition champions, Academy students have garnered honors and 
brought them back to Guam. Today, we find the school's graduates in 
various leadership positions. The Academy has generated, among others, 
doctors, judges, lawyers, corporate executives, diplomats, and public 
officials.
  As this fine Catholic institution celebrates its golden jubilee, I 
extend my sincerest congratulations to the administrators, faculty, 
staff, students, and alumnae of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. For 
fifty years, the Academy has provided quality education and guidance to 
Guam's young women. As a result, the school's alumnae have made 
substantial contributions toward the transformation of Guam from an 
island ravaged by war in the forties to its present status as a 
political and economic center in the Western Pacific. I am confident 
that this institution of faith and learning will continue its 
commitment to excellence by providing a valuable educational 
opportunity to the young women of Guam.

                          ____________________