Senate Resolution 124 PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY DVORSKY 1 3 (COMPANION TO LSB 5653HH BY FOEGE) 1 4 A Resolution commemorating the sesquicentennial 1 5 anniversary of Cornell College. 1 6 WHEREAS, Cornell College was founded in Mount 1 7 Vernon, Iowa, in 1853 by Methodist minister George 1 8 Bowman, and dedicated to the belief that education was 1 9 critical to a civilized society; and 1 10 WHEREAS, the College has a long tradition of 1 11 emphasizing the value and importance of a rich liberal 1 12 arts education, of building a close=knit academic 1 13 environment and nurturing its students, of engaging 1 14 dedicated professors with the most advanced academic 1 15 degrees who are focused on teaching, and of offering 1 16 abundant cocurricular programs and activities; and 1 17 WHEREAS, from its first academic year, when over 1 18 one=quarter of its students were women, Cornell 1 19 College granted women equal academic rights and 1 20 privileges with men, being the first Iowa college in 1 21 1858 to confer a baccalaureate degree on a woman and 1 22 the first college or university in the nation in 1871 1 23 to confer a full professorship upon a woman with a 1 24 salary equal to male professors; and 1 25 WHEREAS, Cornell College, since its inception, has 1 26 adopted a mission of service, not only to its 1 27 students, but to the community and the world around 1 28 it; and 1 29 WHEREAS, campus organizations active over Cornell's 1 30 150 years have included nearly two dozen literary 2 1 societies meeting during the College's first 75 years, 2 2 over 30 social groups organized and active over the 2 3 last 75 years, and more than a dozen national honor 2 4 and service organizations recognizing outstanding 2 5 academic performance over the years, including Phi 2 6 Beta Kappa, first organized in 1923, and Mortar Board; 2 7 and 2 8 WHEREAS, Cornellians today are active in a myriad 2 9 of extracurricular activities, including student 2 10 government, athletics, and off=campus and 2 11 international programs, and in more than 100 student 2 12 organizations, with three=fourths of students 2 13 participating in a communitywide volunteer services 2 14 program; and 2 15 WHEREAS, the College's innovative One=Course=At=A= 2 16 Time calendar was introduced in 1978 and has been 2 17 significant in drawing prospective students to the 2 18 College from every state in the nation and from tens 2 19 of countries around the world; and 2 20 WHEREAS, national rankings have annually placed 2 21 Cornell College among the top liberal arts colleges in 2 22 the United States; and 2 23 WHEREAS, Cornell's emphasis on a well=rounded 2 24 liberal arts education and preparation of its students 2 25 for lifelong achievement and contribution have 2 26 resulted in nearly two=thirds of its students 2 27 attending graduate or professional schools following 2 28 graduation; and 2 29 WHEREAS, Cornell College has a long history of 2 30 preserving and rehabilitating its hilltop campus, 3 1 including its first campus building, now known as Old 3 2 Sem, its oldest building, the President's House, and 3 3 its landmark William Fletcher King Chapel, with this 3 4 preservation effort being recognized in 1980 by the 3 5 inclusion of the entire College campus on the National 3 6 Register of Historic Places; NOW THEREFORE, 3 7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate 3 8 recognizes Cornell College for its contributions to 3 9 the state in general and to its students and the Mount 3 10 Vernon community in particular, and extends 3 11 congratulations to Cornell College on 150 years of 3 12 dedicated service; and 3 13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That an official copy of 3 14 this Resolution be prepared and presented to Les 3 15 Garner, President of Cornell College, to share with 3 16 Cornellians, both past and present, with all Cornell 3 17 faculty and staff, and with all friends of the 3 18 College. 3 19 LSB 5653SS 80 3 20 rj/gg/14