- Senator Santorum Press Release - "Senator Santorum Sponsors, Senate Passes Resolution Honoring Penn State's 150th Anniversary"
- Senate Resolution 396
- Congressman John E. Peterson Press Release - "Peterson Congratulates Penn State for 150 Years of Service During Speech Before U. S. House of Representatives"
- House Resolution 703
- Remarks by Members of Congress
Senator Santorum Press Release - "Senator Santorum Sponsors, Senate Passes Resolution Honoring Penn State's 150th Anniversary"
Senator Rick Santorum
(Penn State Class of 1980 and Penn State Dickinson School of Law Class of 1986)
Contact: Christine Shott (202) 224-0610
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, sponsored a resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Pennsylvania State University.
"It is my honor to pay tribute to Penn State University on its 150th Anniversary," said Senator Santorum. "As an alumnus, I feel a great deal of pride and loyalty to my alma mater. There is something special about a school that can boast a student population over 80,000 and yet provide an intimate and personal collegiate experience."
The resolution honors The Pennsylvania State University, originally founded in 1854 as the Farmers' High School in Centre County and as the Commonwealth's sole land-grant institution. For 150 years Penn State University has provided academic, research, and personal growth, affecting millions of individuals. Always striving for excellence, the University has established itself as one of the most highly respected public institutions in the country.
This resolution also highlights Penn State's outreach effort as the most extensive among institutions of higher education, delivering programs to learners in 87 countries and in all 50 states. Penn State consistently ranks in the top three of universities to receive SAT scores from high school seniors, a reflection of the schoolÕs nationwide and universal appeal.
Penn State maintains appeal with students after they leave the school; established in 1870, the Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association in the nation. Statistically, one in every eight Pennsylvanians with a college degree, one in every 720 Americans, one in every fifty engineers, and one in every four meteorologists are alumni of Penn State.
"I fondly remember being one of many anxious students on the brink of an exciting adventure during my first days at Penn State," said Senator Santorum. "Students come to Happy Valley from all over the world, bringing diverse experiences, opinions and cultures. When we cross the threshold from student to graduate, we leave with a sense of loyalty, pride, family, tradition and a unique culture that is all our own. It is why We Are...Penn State."