Meng Honors Queens College

Queens, N.Y. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) honored Queens College by presenting its President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez with a Congressional Record that commemorates the school's 80^th anniversary.

The anniversary recognition, which was written and entered into the Congressional Record by Meng, highlights the college's beginnings, and pays tribute to its accomplishments and success.

"Queens College is an outstanding institution and an exceptional asset to the borough of Queens," said Meng. "The college has received much well-deserved praise and recognition, and continues to be a trailblazing beacon of higher education. Just recently, the Chronicle of Higher Education ranked Queens College tenth in the nation among public colleges that help students achieve upward social and economic mobility, and the Center for World University Rankings placed the college among the top 5 percent of almost 28,000 degree-granting institutions world-wide. I'm proud to honor the school's 80^th anniversary and look forward to another 80 years of great success. I also look forward to continuing to work with all the outstanding faculty and staff that make the Queens College community grow and thrive."

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings of the United States Congress.

Queens College, which is located in Meng's Congressional district, celebrated its 80^th anniversary in October.

See attached photo of Meng awarding the Congressional Record to Queens College President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. The presentation took place on the college's campus in Flushing.

The text of the Congressional Record is below.

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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.