[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 24]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 32644]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING TOM McROBERTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 16, 2009

  Mr. PETERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
accomplishments of Tom McRoberts on the occasion of his retirement from 
the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM). During his career of over 34 
years with the University, Tom has served several communities as an 
administrator, mentor, and innovative educator. These titles are unable 
to capture the full measure of Tom's contribution to the University, 
local community, the state of Minnesota.
  Tom is tireless in his efforts to expand learning opportunities. His 
ingenuity has never been bound by his official titles of Director of 
Continuing Education and Regional Programs, Director of the Center for 
Small Towns, Director of the Center for International Programs, and the 
other positions he's held over the years. Tom has served as a mentor 
and academic advisor to numerous students who have gone on to obtain 
internships and jobs in the public service arena and win prestigious 
national scholarships. He has been instrumental in developing programs 
to connect the University to the local community and to open the world 
for exploration by the students he has so faithfully served, including 
establishing the UMM Center for International Programs and creating the 
UMM Summer Scholars program for gifted high school juniors from around 
the region, soon to be in its twenty-sixth year.
  Over the years, Tom has been recognized for his remarkable 
contributions with a number of honors, including the all-University 
John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising, the UMM 
Academic Staff Award, the College of Continuing Education Deans Award 
for Individual Achievement, and the University of Minnesota Presidents 
Award for Outstanding Service.
  This impressive record of service doesn't begin to describe the man. 
As his colleagues and students note, Tom is modest, compassionate, and 
blessed with a good sense of humor. One close colleague has described 
Tom as a specialist in making things happen without claiming credit. He 
accepts assignments others won't take. He sees opportunities to do good 
and he takes them and when these aren't obvious, he creates them. Tom 
has truly made walking the extra mile a way of life, achieving a legacy 
of accomplishments that will pay dividends for generations to come.
  Madam Speaker, I wish to extend my congratulations and appreciation 
to Tom McRoberts for the extraordinary career at the University of 
Minnesota Morris.

                          ____________________