[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5588]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      RECOGNIZING DR. DAVID RANKIN

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I wish to honor Southern Arkansas 
University president Dr. David Rankin who will retire in June after 
nearly half a century of dedication to education.
  For 46 years he served alongside the faculty of SAU, the last 13 as 
president. Dr. Rankin made a career out of helping students and 
facilitating growth at the school. His vision to improve academic 
programs and expand campus resources has been a success; benefiting the 
community and creating a new standard for education.
  Since becoming president in 2002, Dr. Rankin helped grow graduate 
enrollment 200 percent. Throughout his presidency SAU has not only seen 
record enrollment, but record development as well. Construction of 
state-of-the-art academic buildings, upgraded athletic facilities, a 
30,000-square-foot agriculture center and a $17.5 million Science 
Center are just a few of the projects championed by Dr. Rankin.
  Public service is a cornerstone of Dr. Rankin's life. Serving as 
president of SAU is certainly enough to stay busy, but his commitment 
to the community and the State keep him active in a variety of other 
roles including as the chair of the Golden Triangle Economic 
Development Council. During his tenure he also served as the economic 
advisor to two Arkansas Governors. He is an active member of Central 
Baptist Church in Magnolia where he teaches Sunday school.
  I congratulate Dr. David Rankin for his outstanding achievements in 
education and the community. I have appreciated his friendship and 
enjoyed supporting his efforts to continue making his vision for SAU a 
reality. I wish him continued success. SAU is a much improved school 
thanks to his leadership and years of dedication to this 
institution.

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