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“CONGRATULATING THE PRESIDENT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, DR. JAMES A. HEFNER, ON HIS RETIREMENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E636 on April 13, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONGRATULATING THE PRESIDENT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, DR.
JAMES A. HEFNER, ON HIS RETIREMENT
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HON. JIM COOPER
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Dr. James A. Hefner, President of the Tennessee State University, and to congratulate him on the occasion of his upcoming retirement on May 31, 2005.
During 14 years of leadership as President of TSU, Dr. Hefner has operated under the motto that ``a passionate faculty are the most important instruments of change in the academic environment.'' He is indeed ``passionate'' about encouraging students to reach higher academic heights and he is a strong advocate for excellence in education.
Dr. Hefner has helped countless students realize their educational goals and subsequent contributions to the community. Under his leadership, enrollment at TSU has grown from 7,405 in 1991 to 9,100. Dr. Hefner has elevated the standing of TSU to the extent that, for the past 11 years, the University has been consistendy recognized in the U.S. News & World Report's ``Guide to America's Best Colleges.''
His rich career has spanned many areas of academia. Dr. Hefner has held positions as president of two universities, administrator, professor, writer and speaker. He credits the single common element of his success to his devotion to students. He strives to improve the education and financial conditions of minorities and is recognized as a renowned authority on minority economic issues. Dr. Hefner has authored 50 articles on economic research and authored or co-edited two books: Black Employment in Atlanta and Public Policy for the Black Community: Strategies and Perspectives. He has served on many regional and national boards and associations dedicated to scholarship in economics, labor relations and public management. He is a consultant to the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Institute of Public Management, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and the Department of Transportation. In addition to numerous honors, publications and professional leadership positions, Dr. Hefner was awarded the Presidential Leadership Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (the organization's highest honor) and the Achievement Award in Research.
On behalf of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I join with Tennessee State University as they celebrate Founders Day to thank my friend and colleague, Dr. James A. Hefner, for his generosity, commitment and dedication to American scholarship and service to the State of Tennessee. I extend my heartfelt congratulations on his retirement and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
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