[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

 Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I am honored to have the opportunity 
to congratulate the Wisconsin Technical College System on their 
centennial celebration marking 100 years of contributing to my State 
and our Nation.
  The early 1900s brought the Industrial Revolution and marked the 
onset of what would ultimately become a pivotal time in our Nation's 
history. In Wisconsin, our paper, shipbuilding and steel industries 
were poised for growth and required workers who were highly skilled and 
educated in these burgeoning trades.
  It was this critical need that inspired one of Wisconsin's foremost 
educational pioneers, Dr. Charles McCarthy, the first director of what 
is now known as the Legislative Reference Bureau, to suggest a new 
model of education for Wisconsin. Dr. McCarthy's idea was based on the 
belief that, for many in Wisconsin, higher education could be obtained 
through a new model of learning. This model of learning would not only 
assist in meeting the new workforce demands of the Industrial 
Revolution, but would also provide expanded access for all residents to 
a higher level of education. In 1911, my home State of Wisconsin became 
the first State to establish a system of support for technical, 
vocational and adult education.
  What ensued in the following decades through the first World War and 
the Great Depression emphasized the importance of vocational skills 
training and propelled the growth of the technical system. By the time 
that World War II began, Wisconsin's Technical College System had 
garnered a national reputation for excellence, prompting the Federal 
Government to allocate over $4.6 billion into the State to aid the war 
effort. By the 1960s, the success and value of the system had been 
firmly established and the State legislature mandated that vocational 
districts be established throughout Wisconsin by 1970.
  What began with an idea more than a century ago, the Wisconsin 
Technical College System has continued to set the standard for our 
Nation. The system currently serves 400,000 students on 47 campuses 
every year, helping to shape the future of our State and prepare the 
workers for tomorrow. Even in these difficult economic times, access to 
high quality education for all people remains crucial in ensuring that 
not only Wisconsin but the Nation, moves forward. I am very proud to 
recognize the Wisconsin Technical College System on its centennial 
celebration and for all it has done for the State of Wisconsin and its 
citizens.

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