Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Glendale Community College on its 75th anniversary, and to celebrate the dedication of the Cimmarusti Science Center.
Glendale College was founded in 1927 as a junior college at the old Glendale Union High School site. It served the needs of the people in La Crescenta, Glendale, and Tujunga. An earthquake devastated several of the main buildings, and finally in 1937 the college opened its new facilities. The community continued to grow and the campus thrived. In 1981, the college separated from the Glendale Unified School District.
Today, Glendale Community College helps more than 25,000 students meet their educational goals. It has a college-credit enrollment of about 15,000 day and evening students and about 10,000 students are enrolled in the adult education programs. Its exceptional reputation and tradition for academic excellence and quality lives on in the current administration and student body. Its progressive and extensive curriculum includes customized contract instruction for companies, career training, and certificates in vocational training. The college innovatively forges and promotes mutually beneficial partnerships with industries and the city.
In 1998, $2 million in Federal funding was requested for a NASA/JPL science education center to be located on the campus. Appropriation legislation was signed in late October of the same year. On March 4, 1999, brothers and local businessmen Larry and Ralph Cimmarusti presented an additional gift of $1 million to the college, as they are proud alumni. Their name will eternally be associated with the school by the state-of-the-art science center that will bear their name. The center will also serve as a regional training facility for local schools, enriching the already impressive list of services available at the college. The Cimmarusti Science Center's math and science education will not only be an example for other colleges, it will raise public interest in the subjects. The center also includes a spectacular planetarium, one of just a few at community colleges across the country.
Glendale Community College is unique in its approach to education and in the way it utilizes its resources. It is a truly pioneering institution that has earned the endless praise of those who have seen it develop, and those who have benefited from its infinite opportunities. It is a model of dependable leadership and unstoppable advancement. Glendale Community College is at the forefront of education in our community, and its innumerable successes have already spanned three quarters of a century. It will undoubtedly continue to serve our community by responding to changing needs and meeting all challenges.
I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in congratulating Glendale Community College on 75 truly exemplary years of service to the community, the opening of the Cimmarusti Science Center, and for the college's commitment to educational excellence.