Recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1145) recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1145 into the Record.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H. Res. 1145, which recognizes the 125th anniversary of the University of Arizona.

The University of Arizona attained its charter on March 12, 1891, with the authorization of Arizona's 13th Territorial Assembly. The mission of this new university focused on building a better Arizona through access, quality, and self-discovery. The university's first day of classes commenced on October 1, 1891, with a small group of 32 students from the surrounding region. The school instantly became a symbol of pride for Tucson, Arizona.

From these humble beginnings, the University of Arizona has grown into one of the most prominent universities in the country. The student body contains over 36,000 students, including almost 7,000 graduate students. Students are enrolled in 122 undergraduate degree programs, 217 graduate programs, and three professional schools.

The University of Arizona has gained national accolades for its breakthroughs in science and technology. The university's scientific research and development program, ranked 15th in the Nation by the National Science Foundation, played a leading role in NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, which led to greater understanding of the red planet.

For all these accomplishments, the University of Arizona is also known for its athletic dominance. The 500 student athletes of the University of Arizona compete in over 19 Division I sports, winning 20 national championships, 37 Pacific Ten titles, including a men's national basketball championship in 1997, and eight softball national titles.

This year, the University of Arizona will celebrate 125 years of providing excellence in education and athletics, cultivating young men and women to become stewards of their community and leaders of the Nation.

Madam Speaker, once again I express my support of the University of Arizona, and wish it and its students future success in all their endeavors. And I thank Representative Giffords for bringing this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I join in urging all my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I missed the following recorded votes on the House floor the week of Monday, March 15, 2010.

For Monday, March 15, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 112 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1145), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 113 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1170), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 114 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1163), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 115 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 267).

For Tuesday, March 16, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 116 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 4628), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 117 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 311), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 118 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 605), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 119 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1128).

For Wednesday, March 17, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 120 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1089), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 121 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1167), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 122 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1184), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 123 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1141), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 124 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to S. 1147), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 125 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3954), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 126 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 946), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 127 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 4825).

For Thursday, March 18, 2010, had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 131 (on motion to refer H. Res. 1193, raising a question of the privileges of the House), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 132 (on motion to table H. Res. 1193, raising a question of the privileges of the House), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 133 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3542), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 134 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3509), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 135 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1173).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1145, recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education.

The University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, was founded in 1885, and first opened its doors to students in 1891. Thirty-two students applied for the first semester, but only six were admitted to the freshman class. The remaining 26 students were enrolled in a specially established prep school, since there were no high schools in the area.

Today, the University of Arizona has 29,719 undergraduate students, 6,962 graduate students, and 1,376 professional and medical students. The university is ranked number 16 among all public universities by the National Science Foundation. The university has a three-fold commitment to education, research, and community service, and offers more than 300 undergraduate degrees through 20 colleges and 11 schools.

The university boasts excellent academic programs, but its students also excel in athletics. The university houses 18 NCAA athletic teams. The University of Arizona Wildcats basketball team has reached the NCAA tournament for the last 25 consecutive years.

The women's softball team is among the top programs in the country, and has won eight Women's College World Series.

The University of Arizona is designated as both a land-grant and space-grant institution, and research conducted at the university has led to advances such as the development of Pima cotton and new artificial hearts, and has helped in the building of the largest telescopes in the world. The mission of the university is ``to discover, educate, serve, and inspire,'' and the accomplishments of its students reflect this.

I extend my congratulations to the University of Arizona for 125 years of excellence in higher education, and wish all of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni continued success. I would ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I thank the gentlelady from Hawaii for being the manager of this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 1145, H. Res. 1170, H. Res. 1163 and H. Res. 67. I was speaking at Mahomet-Seymour High School BullDog Pride Night at Mahomet-Seymour High School and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on Roll Call #112 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1145, Recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #113 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1170, Congratulating the winners of the Voice of Democracy national scholarship program, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #114 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1163, Recognizing Washington State University Honors College for 50 years of excellence, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #115 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 267, Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, expressing appreciation to Iranian-Americans for their contributions to society, and wishing Iranian-Americans and the people of Iran a prosperous new year, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I missed votes on Monday, March 15, 2010 due to travel delays. If I were present, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall 112, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 1145--Recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education;

``Yea'' on rollcall 113, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 1170--Congratulating the winners of the Voice of Democracy national scholarship program;

``Yea'' on rollcall 114, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 1163--Recognizing Washington State University Honors College for 50 years of excellence;

``Yea'' on rollcall 115, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 267--Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, expressing appreciation to Iranian-Americans for their contributions to society, and wishing Iranian-Americans and the people of Iran a prosperous new year.