[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8948-8949]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF DR. JERRY BEASLEY'S SERVICE TO CONCORD UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2008

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Jerry 
L. Beasley and his 23 years of service to the students and faculty of 
Concord University. Concord University is home to over 2700 of West 
Virginia's best and brightest students and one of the finest public 
universities in the Nation. Since 1985, Jerry has led the faculty and 
staff of Concord University as President of this great institution and 
is now set to retire on June 30, 2008.
  Born and raised in Hinton, West Virginia, Jerry has devoted his life 
to improving our State's educational opportunities. He earned his 
bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1966 and his master's in 
education degree in 1969. He worked at Harvard as an assistant to the 
admissions committee for the college before joining the West Virginia 
Commission of Higher Education. In 1972, he came to Concord College as 
a special assistant to the President before being hired by Waynesburg 
College as Vice President for Planning and Development from 1974-1982 
where his efforts more than tripled gifts and grants for operations.
  In 1979, he was awarded a Ph.D. from Stanford University where his 
doctoral research focused on innovations in State government. His last 
stop before returning to Concord was at West Virginia Wesleyan, where 
Jerry served as Vice President for Planning and Development. In 1985, 
Jerry became President at Concord, and in what would be the first of 
many signs of his lifelong dedication to the institution of higher 
learning, he decided to forgo the traditional inauguration and instead 
devoted the funds and efforts for the ceremony to the support of 
student scholarships.
  During his tenure, Jerry has been a godsend to Concord University, 
helping it to expand and flourish, and has played a powerful role in 
developing one of the largest endowments of any West Virginia public 
college. At close to $23 million, the Concord University Foundation is 
number one among small public colleges and universities in the state. 
He also oversaw major changes and improvements to the campus from the 
physical plant, Marsh Hall, the science building and new technology 
centers on campus. From special assistant to the President to being 
installed as President himself, Jerry has left his mark on virtually 
every aspect of the University and touched countless lives around him.
  Jerry's list of accomplishments far exceeds his years of service. He 
has nurtured generations of young minds and helped shape the higher 
education system in West Virginia. His dedication to his work and 
commitment to helping others are examples for us all.
  I again congratulate Jerry on his 23 years of dedicated service to 
Concord University and wish his wife Jean and himself continued success 
in all their future endeavors here in Athens.

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