[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23307]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   TRIBUTE TO CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY FOR 130 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2001

  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay recognition to Memphis' 
Christian Brothers University as the school marks its 130th year of 
service.
  After nearly a decade of work and persuasion by citizens across the 
Memphis and Mid-South community, November 19, 1871, finally arrived. On 
that day, a procession of celebrants made the storied trek from St. 
Peter's Catholic Church to the Memphis Female College, changing the 
name of the destination to Christian Brothers College.
  From the beginning, this institution stood as part of the continuing 
legacy of St. John de la Salle, whose founding of the Institute of the 
Brothers of Christian Schools, or Frates Scholarum Christianarum, 
continues as one of the world's prolific educational systems. With the 
death of de la Salle in 1719 and his canonization in 1900, this system 
flourished to, by the middle of the 20th century, include more than 
20,000 brothers teaching nearly half a million students worldwide.
  In Memphis, the students who attended the first day of classes at the 
newly formed institution numbered 26.
  The first president, Brother Maurelian, served two terms for 33 
years. It was during these formative years that the institution made 
several changes and transition that further distinguished it as an 
educational institution of great worth.
  The school functioned as a combined elementary school, high school 
and college, granting high school diplomas as well as bachelor's and 
master's degrees. This continued from 1871 until 1915, when the college 
had to close its college division temporarily due to the inordinate 
amount of students that enlisted for the war effort.
  Following this period, the school reopened as a Junior College, 
granting Associate of Arts Degrees beginning in 1942. Some 11 years 
later, the Junior College was expanded into a 4-year institution 
offering bachelor's degrees to students once again.
  Since this time of renewal, the college has expanded tremendously in 
size and coursework offered. The Master's Program was reinstated in 
1987 with exponential growth in size, as reflected by the official 
change of the school to Christian Brothers University.
  CBU today holds the distinction as one of the most diverse college 
communities in the Mid-South in terms of coursework offered and student 
population.
  For CBU's record of excellence and for the responsible role of 
leadership it has taken in the academic community, I ask you and my 
colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in saluting 
the legacy of this flagship institution of higher learning, Christian 
Brothers University.

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