[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6489-6490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF KALAMAZOO COLLEGE

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is my pleasure, along with that 
of my colleague from Michigan, Senator Stabenow, to recognize the 175th 
anniversary of Kalamazoo College. Kalamazoo College enjoys the 
distinction of being Michigan's oldest college and one of our Nation's 
100 oldest colleges. This occasion will be marked by a series of 
celebrations this spring, beginning with the Founder's Convocation on 
April 24, 2008. It is with pride that Senator Stabenow and I bring this 
milestone to the attention of the Senate.
  Since its inception in 1883, Kalamazoo College has made immeasurable 
contributions to the academic, economic, and cultural life of the 
Greater Kalamazoo area, the State of Michigan, and the world community. 
Founded by Baptists as the Michigan and Huron Institute, this 
institution was formally named Kalamazoo College in 1855.
  Devoted to the study of liberal arts and sciences and with an 
enduring mission ``to prepare its graduates to better understand, live 
successfully within and provide enlightened leadership to a richly 
diverse and increasingly complex world,'' Kalamazoo College has earned 
a national reputation as a respected, private, 4-year coeducational 
college. Central to this mission is the Kalamazoo Plan, a program 
established in 1962 that integrates career development internships and 
study abroad experiences with a rigorous academic curriculum and an 
individualized senior project. The Kalamazoo Plan was initiated under 
president Weimer Hicks and seeks to create an academic community where 
students are engaged in leadership and connected to their global 
surroundings.
  This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the college's study 
abroad program. Kalamazoo College offers over 50 study abroad programs 
on 6 continents, and more than 80 percent of its students participate 
in these programs, which is among the highest of any college in the 
Nation. In addition, Kalamazoo College ranks among the top 10 in the 
number of alumni participating in the Peace Corps. Guided by the 
concept of ``fellowship in learning,'' Kalamazoo College has continued 
to strive to meet the challenges presented by an ever changing and 
increasingly interdependent world.
  Notably, Kalamazoo College ranks among the top 20 liberal arts 
colleges in the country for students receiving Fulbright awards and 
19th nationally in the percentage of graduates who earn doctoral 
degrees. In addition, the college received the State of Michigan 
Governor's Service Award in 2006, with the Kalamazoo Public Schools, 
for the AMIGOS Program, a bilingual program for mentoring middle school 
students.
  Kalamazoo College is an NCAA Division III school and offers eight 
intercollegiate sports for both men and women. An especially impressive 
athletic accomplishment is the tennis team's record of 69 successive 
MIAA championships, from 1936 to 2007, the longest streak by any 
athletic team at any level at any time. Kalamazoo College is also proud 
to have hosted the USTA Boys 18 & 16 national tennis championships 
since 1943.
  We know our Senate colleagues will join us in congratulating the past 
and current faculty, staff, and students of Kalamazoo College as they 
celebrate the school's 175th anniversary. We wish them continued 
success in the years ahead.

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