[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5165]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT R. THOMAS WILLIAMSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JASON ALTMIRE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2008

  Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor President R. Thomas 
Williamson of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. 
Westminster College was established on January 21, 1852. As one of the 
earliest co-educational colleges in the Nation, Westminster was founded 
to promote Christian values while focusing on individual development.
  In June of 2008, Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson 
will retire after 11 years of service. President Williamson's tenure 
has provided over a decade of exemplary leadership and vision for 
Westminster College.
  During his time at Westminster College, President Williamson oversaw 
the completion of 10 major building projects, grew the college's 
endowment to over $100 million, and helped the college become the 15th 
best liberal arts college in the country, according to Washington 
Monthly. President Williamson's mantra of ``get better, not bigger'' 
has allowed students to receive the continued personal attention they 
deserve. Westminster College maintains a 12:1 student to faculty ratio 
and a 98 percent placement rate for its graduates.
  President Williamson is a former U.S. Navy officer and holds a Juris 
Doctorate from the University of Baltimore. He and his wife, Jean 
Simmonds Williamson, have four children and three grandchildren.
  I want to commend President Williamson for his dedication to the 
students of Westminster College and the community of New Wilmington. I 
congratulate him on his career and wish him all the best in his 
retirement.