[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5558]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           MARQUIS ALEXANDER

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge 
a milestone reached by Marquis Alexander. He is the first African 
American to become commander of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
  Currently, Marquis is a corporal in the U.S. Marine Reserves and a 
rising senior majoring in international studies. Congratulations.
  The history of African Americans at A&M University dates back to the 
founding of the institution. African Americans in the Texas Legislature 
advocated for and supported the passage of the Moral Land Grant Act in 
1866, which established A&M College of Texas between 1876 and 1963. 
African Americans worked at Texas A&M as laborers, maids, custodians, 
and various other support staff; however, they were prohibited from 
attending as students and faculty until 1963.
  It's been a long time, but here we are today to congratulate this 
young man, a graduate of Barbara Jordan High School in the 18th 
Congressional District, my district, in Houston, Texas. He is the 
oldest of 10 children, and the first in his family to go to college. He 
is said to be an admirable and mature young man. Alexander is currently 
a corporal in the Marine Reserves. He has become the first person with 
military experience to head the corps.
  Texas A&M University has the proud distinction of having the most 
graduates to enlist in our Nation's Armed Forces when compared to other 
nonmilitary academies.
  Mr. Alexander grew up in my home city of Houston. Our city is proud 
of his achievements. He has always wanted to attend Texas A&M. He was 
so gung ho for the military that he participated in the Texas A&M 
Junior Cadet Accessions Program while still in high school. A week 
after enlisting in the Marine Corps, he received a letter of acceptance 
from Texas A&M. Yet true to his word and commitment, Alexander attended 
boot camp at the Marine Corps Depot in San Diego.
  He is the kind of young American that we can be proud of. I am so 
proud of him. Congratulations to you and your family. This is a glory 
hallelujah day, and congratulations to Texas A&M for opening it up to 
being a student body president and yell leader.

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