[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 24--RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOWIE STATE 
                               UNIVERSITY

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 24

       Whereas on January 9, 2015, Bowie State University, located 
     in Bowie, Maryland, will celebrate the founding of the 
     university on January 9, 1865;
       Whereas Bowie State University is the oldest historically 
     black institution of higher education in the State of 
     Maryland, and 1 of the 10 oldest in the United States;
       Whereas in 1864 the Baltimore Association began fundraising 
     to open and support schools for African-Americans, and 
     established 7 schools, the second of which, known as the 
     ``Normal School'' (referred to in this preamble as the 
     ``School''), was the forerunner of Bowie State University;
       Whereas the School began by educating approximately 370 
     students in the African Baptist Church in the Crane's 
     Building on the northeast corner of Calvert and Saratoga 
     Streets in Baltimore, Maryland;
       Whereas in 1867 the School purchased the Friends' Meeting 
     House at the corner of Courtland and Saratoga Streets in 
     Baltimore, Maryland, to use for the School;
       Whereas during the earliest years of the School, the school 
     received financial support from the City Council of 
     Baltimore, the Freedmen's Bureau, several northern relief 
     societies, and the estate of Nelson Wells;
       Whereas in 1893 the name of the School was changed to the 
     ``Baltimore Colored Normal School'';
       Whereas in 1908 the General Assembly of Maryland approved 
     legislation that allowed the trustees of the School to donate 
     assets of the trustees to the State of Maryland in return for 
     a $5,000 annual appropriation to maintain a permanent normal 
     school for the training of black teachers;
       Whereas in 1908 the General Assembly of Maryland changed 
     the name of the School to ``Baltimore Normal School No. 3'';
       Whereas in 1910 the State of Maryland purchased 187 acres 
     of land formerly known as ``Jericho Farms'' to relocate the 
     School;
       Whereas in September 1911 the new location of the School 
     opened with 50 students enrolled;
       Whereas in 1935 the School began operating as a 4-year 
     program for training elementary school teachers and was 
     renamed the ``Maryland Teachers College at Bowie'';
       Whereas in 1954, when the National Council for 
     Accreditation of Teacher Education was formed, the education 
     program of the School was among the first to receive national 
     accreditation and that distinction has been continuously 
     reaffirmed;
       Whereas in 1963 the School began a liberal arts and teacher 
     training program for secondary education and the institution 
     was renamed ``Bowie State College'';
       Whereas in 1988 the School, which offered several master's 
     degree programs, joined the University System of Maryland and 
     was finally renamed ``Bowie State University'';
       Whereas in 1995 Bowie State University became 1 of only 6 
     Model Institutions for Excellence in science, engineering, 
     and mathematics in the United States with support from the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
       Whereas as of January 2015, Bowie State University serves 
     approximately 5,600 students annually with challenging and 
     rewarding academic programs and individual support to prepare 
     attendees with the skills needed to compete and succeed in a 
     changing world;
       Whereas Bowie State University was listed as 1 of 
     ``America's Top Colleges'' by Forbes magazine from 2011 to 
     2013, and ranked among the top 25 historically black colleges 
     and universities by U.S. News & World Report;
       Whereas Bowie State University has been recognized as a 
     leader in training African-American professionals in the 
     science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (``STEM'') 
     fields;
       Whereas Bowie State University was named a National Center 
     for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by 
     the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland 
     Security; and
       Whereas Bowie State University continues to be committed to 
     enhancing academic opportunities for students at the 
     university, many of whom may be the first in their families 
     attending college, and producing graduates who better 
     strengthen the entire State of Maryland and the modern 
     technology-driven economy of the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates Bowie State University on the 150th 
     anniversary of the founding of the university;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of all the administrators, 
     professors, students, and various staff who have contributed 
     to the success of Bowie State University; and
       (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
       (A) the president of Bowie State University; and
       (B) the provost and vice president for academic affairs.

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