[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 A TRIBUTE TO CHANCELLOR JAMES R. LEUTZE, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 
                             AT WILMINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 4, 2002

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today and honor Dr. James R. Leutze, Chancellor of the University of 
North Carolina at Wilmington. In June of 2003, Chancellor Leutze will 
retire after serving the University for twelve years.
  James Leutze brought growth and prosperity to the Wilmington campus. 
He made a good university great. During Chancellor Leutze's tenure, the 
University of North Carolina at Wilmington has seen increases in 
admissions standards, the overall student body, and the average grade 
point average. His focus on educational growth has led to the 
University achieving several high national rankings. These include the 
U.S. News and World Report's top ten regional undergraduate public 
universities in the South for two years in a row and recognition by The 
Gourman Report as having one of the top five marine biology programs in 
the nation. Furthermore, from his distinguished position, Chancellor 
Leutze has successfully raised awareness about environmental and growth 
concerns in the Southeast.
  Chancellor Leutze championed the UNCW Marine Biology program, which 
now ranks among the nation's best programs. Moreover, Chancellor Leutze 
was instrumental in ensuring the construction of Aquarius, an 
underwater laboratory in Key Largo, Florida where students and faculty 
conduct extensive research regarding our oceans. In addition to his 
hard work on the undergraduate level, Chancellor Leutze is responsible 
for obtaining the approval to offer a doctorate program in marine 
biology, which remains the University's only Ph.D. program.
  Chancellor Leutze was also dedicated to ensuring that all communities 
had access to the latest technological advances, especially the 
Internet. Chancellor Leutze helped pave the way for the Information 
Superhighway through southeastern North Carolina via his work in the 
development of two regional technology initiatives, as well as UNCW's 
Global Virtual University. His dedication to technology was 
acknowledged, as Chancellor Leutze was appointed Chairman of the Rural 
Internet Access Authority by the Governor of North Carolina. In 
addition to this esteemed honor, Chancellor Leutze also served on the 
North Carolina Progress Board, the Government Performance Audit 
Committee, and the Commission for a Competitive North Carolina.
  Chancellor Leutze has earned the respect of the administration, the 
faculty, and the students for his dedication to ensuring that the 
University of North Carolina at Wilmington will continue to grow and 
thrive for years to come.
  We owe Chancellor James R. Leutze our sincere appreciation for his 
lifelong commitment to education as evidenced by his work as a 
professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, president 
at Hampton Sydney College, and chancellor at the University of North 
Carolina at Wilmington. And I thank Dr. Leutze for his inspiration to 
me when he was my American History professor at the University of North 
Carolina at Chapel Hill when I was an undergraduate there.
  May God bless him and his family, and may God bless the University of 
North Carolina at Wilmington.

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