[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1285-1286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             150TH ANNIVERSARY OF EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, we have a double privilege here today in 
that we obviously are celebrating Kansas State University being 150, 
representing 150 years of outstanding academic service to our people, 
but also Emporia State University is 150 years old at the same time--a 
rather remarkable achievement. I know we would like to congratulate 
Emporia State on its 150th anniversary.
  Emporia State University is in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas, 
and it is also very dear to my family. My mother attended Emporia State 
and studied education. She went on to become a teacher. Emporia State 
is a teacher's university, second to none. But she, in her day and 
time, spent a lot of time educating Kansas children up in Atchison, KS, 
and was very much like the other proud and accomplished alumni from 
Emporia State.
  If a person wants to know about education, all they would have to 
do--as well as teacher involvement and teacher progress and some of the 
very serious challenges we face today in education--is stop by Emporia 
State. They have many fine programs and nothing but the best in terms 
of graduates who do such a great job.
  Throughout the past 150 years, Emporia State has grown to accommodate 
the needs of the State and the 6,500 students it currently serves. What 
was once the Kansas State Teaching College, Emporia State has now 
expanded greatly, offering a wide range of academic programs.
  In true Kansas fashion, the university has faced challenges head-on 
from its earliest days. Adversity is not uncommon. In fact, our State 
motto is ``to the stars through difficulty.'' But the outstanding 
faculty and staff have persevered on behalf of their students to 
provide a quality education, and that continues today with teachers who 
also provide a quality education. We can't do any better than that. It 
is with great pride as a Kansan and as a son of an Emporia State 
graduate that I recognize and congratulate Emporia State University on 
its 150th anniversary.
  I am more than happy to yield to my friend and colleague, Senator 
Moran.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coons). The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator for yielding, and I 
appreciate being recognized.
  It is true that our State places a high priority on education--
certainly K-12 but also universities, including public, private, 
community colleges, technical colleges, and today we honor one of those 
universities in this milestone in its history, Emporia State 
University, Emporia, KS, on its 150th anniversary.
  Benjamin Franklin said, ``Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may 
remember. Involve me and I learn.'' Through learning, students' lives 
have been changed for the better for more than a century at Emporia 
State University. This is a historic occasion, their 150th anniversary, 
and I wish to recognize the significant impact Emporia State has had on 
our State and on our Nation.
  In 1863 Emporia State was founded as a school for training teachers. 
Back then it was known as Kansas Normal School, and in its first year 
the President and only teacher, Lyman Kellogg, taught 18 students on 
the second floor of the district schoolhouse. At the university's first 
commencement on June 28, 1867, President Kellogg presented diplomas to 
its two graduates, Mary Jane Watson and Ellen Plumb.
  In the years that followed, Emporia State was faced with many 
challenges, including tornadoes, fires, and a lack of funding, but the 
university survived and continued each and every year to change the 
lives of the students.
  Today 6,500 students from 45 States and 55 countries are enrolled at 
Emporia State University. Consistently ranked as a tier 1 regional 
university by U.S. News and World Report, ESU offers students a wide 
range of academic programs to choose from and the opportunity to 
participate in more than 130 student organizations.
  Emporia State also remains fully committed to its original mission of 
training teachers through a nationally acclaimed teacher education 
program. If a person has somebody who made a difference in their life, 
nobody ever says: It was my Senator. It is not mom and dad. It is a 
teacher.
  Educating teachers is a noble calling. In fact, the Teachers College 
holds the International Reading Association Award and Certificate of 
Distinction for the Reading Preparation of Elementary and Secondary 
Teachers--one of only five programs honored internationally in 2009. In 
a national study of teacher education programs, Emporia State was named 
one of only four postsecondary institutions in the Nation to be 
identified as an exemplary model teacher education program.
  I congratulate Emporia State for their success in equipping our 
Nation's educators. As we know, the work of a teacher impacts the lives 
of every American now and in the future.
  Given Emporia State's long history and dedication to training 
teachers, the university, as one might expect, now hosts the National 
Teachers Hall of Fame. Each year five of the Nation's most outstanding 
educators are recognized and honored for the jobs they do. By 
recognizing the difference one teacher can make, the National Teachers 
Hall of Fame works to promote education and inspire a new generation of 
teachers.
  Whether ESU students pursue a career in education or another field, 
many students who continue their studies will return to ESU for 
graduate work. Among the Kansas Regents universities, ESU students earn 
the highest percentage of graduate degrees. On average, one-third of 
the degrees earned annually are graduate degrees. So whether students 
leave Emporia with an undergraduate or graduate degree, they are well 
prepared in the field they have chosen.
  Students today are involved in community service, and Emporia State 
exemplifies that. Students at Emporia State spend much time giving back 
to the local communities. Students have cared for the elderly, provided 
food to the hungry, and built homes for the homeless. They have also 
spent their free time mentoring young students through a program called 
YouthFriends. Currently, about 50 Emporia State students are involved 
in volunteer work once a week with children.
  One of the teachers at a local elementary school said this about that 
program:

       It is great for children to have a young adult role model 
     to look up to. I have two kids in my class who have 
     YouthFriends, and

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     they both have benefited greatly. Their attitudes about 
     school and life have changed for the better.

  What a great way to make a difference in the development of lifelong 
compassion for others.
  The alumni of Emporia State University now number more than 75,000 
from 50 States and 80 countries, and they are all proud to be called 
Emporia State Hornets. Alumni from Emporia State have gone on to 
accomplish great things. Among the many distinguished alumni are Minnie 
Grinstead, who was the first woman elected to the Kansas State 
Legislature in 1918, and Robert Mott, a World War II veteran who later 
helped create National Public Radio.
  For the past 150 years, Emporia State has been changing lives. One 
alumni said this about the impact on her life:

       I was told by a high school guidance counselor that I would 
     never make it in college. ESU gave me an opportunity to 
     ``try.'' Not only did I earn a bachelor's degree, I earned a 
     masters, and Ph.D. Thank you ESU, you changed my life in a 
     positive way!

  On this historic anniversary, it is with great pleasure that I join 
my colleague from Kansas in submitting a resolution to congratulate the 
students, faculty, alumni, and the new president of Emporia State 
University for 150 years of excellence in higher education. May the 
next 150 years be even brighter than the last.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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