[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15838]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF QUEENS COLLEGE'S 80TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 11, 2017

  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, The 
Honorable Joseph Crowley, to recognize the 80th anniversary of Queens 
College, an institution of higher education in Queens that provides an 
exemplary education to nearly 20,000 students annually. Queens College 
opened its doors on October 11, 1937, and ushered in the first class of 
students to the first public college in Queens. On the first day of 
classes, Queens College President Paul Klapper remarked, ``We are the 
pioneers of a new institution. We have no history to look back to, but 
we can look forward to progress.''
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that President Klapper would be proud to see 
the remarkable progress that Queens College has made. The Princeton 
Review has continuously commended the college for offering a world-
class education by an illustrious faculty for an affordable price. It 
is no wonder that it places in the top 1 percent of colleges that 
successfully move its students from the bottom-fifth income 
distribution percentile to the top-fifth income distribution 
percentile. In its eighty years, 160,000 students have become alumni. 
Some have earned Pulitzer Prizes, Emmy Awards, becoming CEOs, or 
achieved scientific breakthroughs. As an alumnus himself, I know that 
Congressman Crowley is proud to join me in commending Queens College 
for its steadfast commitment in ensuring that students reach their 
potential.
  Queens College has not only cultivated a reputation for investing in 
student success, but also for being one of the most diverse colleges in 
the country. Students who are currently enrolled are from 170 countries 
and speak over 110 languages. Queens College offers 69 undergraduate 
programs in the arts and sciences. In its eighty years of operations, 
the college has become a cultural hub for students to pursue and 
achieve academic success in Queens.
  I am proud to stand with Congressman Crowley to commemorate Queens 
College's 80th anniversary. I look forward to seeing what the future 
will bring for this trailblazing beacon of higher education.

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