[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930

                WELCOME BACK SIMMONS COLLEGE OF KENTUCKY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of one of the most 
storied institutions in Louisville's rich history on this day of its 
rebirth as an independent liberal arts institution, as it was intended.
  Shortly after the end of the Civil War, 12 forward-thinking former 
slaves gathered in Louisville, united by the understanding that 
education would be key to prosperity as free people in America. The 
institution of higher learning that opened its door 14 years later in 
1879 was unique in its commitment to African American education.
  While many similar institutions were the result of the efforts of 
white missionaries working to give recently freed people the advantages 
of American society, Simmons, known at that time as the Kentucky Normal 
Theological Institute in Louisville, was created in a collaboration 
that bridged the racial divide. Black Baptists and white Baptists, 
recently freed and those born of privilege, worked hand in hand in 
pursuit of equality in education.
  Early leaders at the school came with impressive Ivy League 
pedigrees, but as the strength of the institution increased, they 
turned more and more to alumni that came from within. By the early part 
of the 20th century, it was difficult to find a finer education than 
that offered at Simmons College, earning it the nickname: ``The Black 
Harvard of the South.''
  Within four decades of its inception and a half century removed from 
slavery, Simmons embodied the dream and exceeded the expectations of 
the dozen visionaries who foresaw education as the tools for equality. 
Louisville's Simmons College was a liberal arts college of national 
renown.
  But like so many others, the economic hardships of the Great 
Depression devastated the school. The properties succumbed to 
foreclosure and the institution lost its independence. Despite meeting 
tremendous adversity, the determination that led Simmons' inception and 
incredible ascent drove its journey onward.
  For decades and under several names, the school continued to exist. 
Most recently, the school specialized in theology, expertly training 
pastors at Simmons Bible College at 18th Street and Dumesnil.
  But, Dr. Kevin W. Cosby, the latest in a great tradition of Simmons 
leadership dating back to Elijah Marrs, William Simmons, and Charles 
Parish, has led the way to a full restoration of Simmons' early success 
as, in his words, ``the mother of black higher education in the State 
of Kentucky.'' Through his work as president of the school and as 
pastor at St. Stephen Baptist Church, Dr. Cosby has worked to expand 
the school to its original home at 7th Street and Kentucky, where, in 
conjunction with the current campus, it will once again operate as a 
fully independent liberal arts university.
  In this capacity, Simmons will again offer students from around the 
country a chance to realize their potential and excel, giving hope to 
those who need it. I applaud the vision and fortitude that Dr. Cosby 
has shown in restoring this indispensable treasure, which is not just a 
shining light in Kentucky's history, but to the Commonwealth's present 
and future as well.
  I hope that it is Simmons, not recent decisions in Washington that 
could indicate a slow retreat from our strides in civil rights, that 
portends the course our Nation now treads. It is my great honor to 
stand on the House floor in recognition of the tremendous national 
significance and benefit of Simmons College of Kentucky and to say: 
Welcome back.

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