Cantwell, Murray Mark 150 Years of the University of Washington’s Achievement and Innovation
Senators Commemorate University of Washington’s 150th Year as State’s Flagship Institution with Resolution
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced a Congressional Resolution to commemorate the 150th year of the University of Washington (UW). The Senators congratulated the university for serving as a hub for groundbreaking research and innovation since its founding. The university has grown from 137 students in 1890 to more than 40,000 at the Seattle campus alone. Campuses in Bothell and Tacoma have more than 3,000 students each. According to a 2010 University of Washington economic impact study, it is the third largest employer in Washington state and supports over 69,000 jobs.
The Senators also noted that UW’s faculty has been honored with numerous awards, including four Nobel Prizes and 15 MacArthur Foundation ‘Genius Grants.’ In addition, the UW School of Medicine has been ranked number one in the country for 18 consecutive years for primary care education by U.S. News & World Report.
“For 150 years, UW has pioneered innovation and driven Washington state’s economic and cultural growth,” said Cantwell. “The university has contributed greatly to the health and well-being of the larger Seattle community with its world-renowned primary care medical school. UW has also helped the Puget Sound region become a destination for biotechnology growth with its expansion of biomedical research facilities on South Lake Union. And with facilities like the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence, the university is taking a leading role in confronting the current aerospace job skills gap our workforce faces. I look forward to another 150 years of groundbreaking theories and inspiring ideas from the University of Washington.”
“I am proud to recognize and commemorate the University of Washington’s 150 years of success and growth in Washington state,” said Senator Patty Murray. “UW has been a key player in securing opportunity and prosperity for generations of Washingtonians, and is doing a great job preparing the students of today for the jobs of the 21st century economy. This amazing institution has contributed so much to our students, our businesses, our communities, and our country—and I am confident that the University will continue innovating and succeeding for 150 years more.”
In 2003, the Senate passed Cantwell’s amendment to the ‘Vision 100’ FAA reauthorization bill creating the FAA’s first advanced aviation materials research center. She successfully fought to have the new center based at the University of Washington. The Center for Excellence for Advanced Materials for Transportation Aviation Structures (AMTAS) leads the industry’s research of advanced aviation materials, such as composites and aluminum alloys, for use in civilian transport aircraft. Research conducted by AMTAS students and scientists helped prove to the FAA that use of structural composite materials in aircrafts is safe. Boeing incorporated ATMAS’ findings into many of the new 787s’ systems.
Text of the Resolution follows.
Congratulating the University of Washington on the occasion of its 150thanniversary, and recognizing its contributions to Washington State and the Nation.
Whereas the University of Washington was founded on November 4th, 1861, making it the oldest public university on the west coast of the United States; and
Whereas the University has since grown into an internationally acclaimed research university, spanning three campuses in the greater Puget Sound area and enrolling nearly 50,000 students, including international students from 18 countries; and
Whereas the faculty of the University of Washington have been repeatedly recognized for excellence, including 4 Nobel Prizes and 15 “Genius Grants” by the MacArthur Foundation, among other awards; and
Whereas research at the University of Washington has played a critical role in supporting the advancement of knowledge and industry in Washington State and the rest of the country;
Whereas the University serves as a cultural hub for the Seattle community through world-class venues such as the Henry Art Gallery and Meany Hall for the performing arts;
Whereas the University is home to the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, the oldest institution dedicated to public policy at a public institution of higher education; and
Whereas, for over 100 years the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies has been at the forefront of international education and research, with a particular educational emphasis on our relations in the Asia-Pacific Region, setting a new stage for our current times, what Secretary of State Clinton calls “America’s Pacific Century.”
Whereas the University of Washington Medical School and its associated hospitals have been recognized as some of the finest in the world, home to the inventors of the first long-term procedure for kidney dialysis and the world’s first multidisciplinary pain care center, as well as helping train physicians throughout the Western United States through partnerships with medical schools in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho; and
Whereas November 4th, 2011 is the 150thanniversary of the founding of the University of Washington: Now therefore, be it
Resolved,That the House of Representatives honors the University of Washington on its sesquicentennial, saluting its distinguished legacy of academic excellence, pathbreaking research, and partnership with its community, and extending its congratulations to the University’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
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