[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. ALBERT C. YATES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to express 
gratitude and congratulations to one of Colorado's most outstanding 
citizens, Dr. Albert C. Yates of Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Yates is 
retiring after 12 years as President of Colorado State University.
  One of seven children, Dr. Yates rose from a Memphis, Tennessee, 
ghetto to make a name for himself. He attributes his success to a 
mother whose sole purpose was giving her children a better life than 
she had. The young Albert Yates never realized he was poor as a child, 
but knew there were people who cared for him deeply. Dr. Yates now 
proclaims that his mother and others instituted a sense of what's 
important in this world, and that's what has helped him achieve his 
current status.
  Dr. Yates began his college career at Memphis State University, 
graduating magna cum laude in chemistry and mathematics in 1965. After 
earning a doctorate in theoretical chemical physics from Indiana 
University at Bloomington in 1968, he served as a postdoctoral research 
fellow at the University of Southern California before returning to 
join the faculty at Indiana. He achieved the rank of associate 
professor before departing Indiana in 1974 to become associate dean for 
graduate education and research at the University of Cincinnati. In 
1976, Dr. Yates completed the Institute for Educational Management at 
the Harvard School of Business, and the following year was named vice 
president and university dean for graduate studies and research at the 
University of Cincinnati. Prior to his Colorado State appointment, Dr. 
Yates served for nine years as executive vice president and provost at 
Washington State University in Pullman.
  Under Dr. Yates' tenure, Colorado State University has become one of 
the nation's most influential research universities. Among Colorado 
State's documented achievements are breakthroughs in hurricane 
forecasting, a new tuberculosis vaccine, developing canola engine oil 
and improved laser technology. The university's veterinary medicine and 
atmospheric sciences programs are without question world-renowned. 
Under Dr. Yates' leadership, Colorado State University has attracted 
the state's fastest-growing resident enrollment. Private funding has 
quadrupled. External research funding has increased over 80 percent, 
and the endowment has gone from $42 million to $126.8 million, a 300 
percent increase. Furthermore, it is not just Coloradans who recognize 
his accomplishments. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked 
Colorado State University among the top 100 universities in the nation 
and Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine named it among the top 50 for 
value in higher education.
  Dr. Yates is clearly the most accomplished of Colorado State 
University presidents. Many in Colorado have likened him to Charles A. 
Lory and William B. Morgan, the two most highly respected presidents of 
this fine institution.
  Dr. Yates' philosophy has been simple yet profound. In a letter to 
those interested in the university, the lessons learned from his early 
childhood were clearly still intact. Dr. Yates stated, ``Our goal is 
not simply to teach students how to make a living--but to live a 
life.'' Always striving for perfection and overcoming challenges, Dr. 
Yates consistently took responsibility for all aspects of the 
university, no matter how big or small.
  As Americans, we admire those individuals who are extremely 
accomplished in their field. Albert Yates went well beyond this 
standard. In addition to the 39 honors and awards he has received over 
the years and 23 community service committees he has served on, Dr. 
Yates has been a leader in business and the community at large. A 
member of numerous Boards of Trustees including the Boy Scouts of 
America Longs Peak Council and the Denver Zoological Society, Dr. Yates 
has also served on the Board of Directors of First Interstate Bank of 
Denver, the Mountain West Conference, Colorado Institute of Technology, 
and the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve.
  Dr. Yates' immediate plans are to continue to serve as chancellor of 
the Colorado State University System, following through on his promise 
to transition the University of Southern Colorado to Colorado State 
University at Pueblo. He is looking forward to spending more time with 
his wife Ann and their two school-aged daughters, Aerin and Sadie.
  On behalf of the citizens of Colorado, I ask the House to join me in 
extending congratulations and a sincere thanks to Dr. Albert C. Yates. 
It is an honor to know such an extraordinary citizen and we owe him a 
debt of gratitude for his service and dedication to Colorado State 
University, the State of Colorado and America.

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