[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12973]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GLENN POSHARD

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I would like to thank Dr. Glenn Poshard 
for all he has done for Southern Illinois University and for his 40 
years of public service to Illinois.
  After more than 7 years as president of Southern Illinois University, 
Dr. Poshard will be retiring next year. Under Dr. Poshard's leadership, 
Southern Illinois University has been able to keep tuition costs low 
and the university's finances sound, despite the financial problems 
that have plagued the State.
  Throughout his career, Dr. Poshard worked for the people of southern 
Illinois. He was born in Herald, IL, and graduated from Carmi Township 
High School. He left Illinois to serve his country in the U.S. Army in 
Korea, where he received a commendation for outstanding service.
  Following his military service, Dr. Poshard returned to Illinois and 
used the G.I. bill to earn a bachelor's degree in secondary education, 
a master's degree in health education, and a Ph.D. in higher education 
administration. He received all three degrees from Southern Illinois 
University at Carbondale.
  Appointed to the Illinois State Senate in 1984, Dr. Poshard held the 
seat until the people of the 22nd Congressional District sent him to 
the U.S. House of Representatives in 1989. During his 10 years in 
Congress, Dr. Poshard was a strong proponent of campaign finance 
reform. When he ran for Governor in 1998, he limited individual 
donations to his campaign and refused to accept contributions from 
political action committees.
  Following his tenure in Congress, Dr. Poshard and his wife Jo founded 
the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children. For the last 14 years, the 
Poshard Foundation has helped children who have been victims of abuse, 
abandonment, or neglect in southern Illinois.
  After a 40-year affiliation with the university, Dr. Poshard is 
leaving his beloved SIU in good shape. At SIU, Dr. Poshard has been a 
student, a student worker, a civil service worker, an adjunct 
professor, vice chancellor for administration, and now as he retires--
the second longest serving president in the history of the Southern 
Illinois University system, an experience he calls ``the greatest honor 
of my life.''
  I congratulate Glenn on his distinguished career and thank him for 
dedicating his life to public service. I wish him and his family all 
the best.

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