[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTER AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF 
                              PUERTO RICO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2012

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the Inter 
American University of Puerto Rico, which is celebrating 100 years 
since its establishment on the island of Puerto Rico.
  The Inter American University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1912 as 
the Polytechnic Institute of Puerto Pico, by Reverend John Will Harris. 
At the time they offered elementary and secondary education in the town 
of San German. In 1944, the university was accredited by the Middle 
States Association of Colleges and Schools, making it the first liberal 
arts college to be so accredited in Puerto Rico.
  Over the last century, the Inter American University of Puerto Rico 
has greatly expanded, educating thousands of students pursuing their 
studies in the humanities, social sciences, and hard sciences. Under 
the leadership of University President Dr. Manuel J. Fernos, today the 
Inter American University of Puerto Rico has more than 50,000 
registered students at eleven sites, including schools specializing in 
optometry and law. As the only optometry school in Latin America, it is 
the main provider of bilingual optometrists in the world.
  The university also stands out for its extensive offering of online 
courses, making it a leader in distance learning. The Inter American 
University of Puerto Rico prides itself on their international 
partnerships with other prestigious universities located in Spain, 
England, Italy, Mexico, China, and the Dominican Republic. The 
university also maintains a large number of partnership programs with 
schools located in the 50 States. These partnerships and programs 
expand the knowledge and experiences of the university's students, and 
have made the Inter American University of Puerto Rico a recognized 
cultural bridge between North America and Latin America.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th 
anniversary of this historic institution of higher education, which has 
made a lasting impact on students in Puerto Rico and throughout the 
rest of both the United States and Latin America.

                          ____________________