CELEBRATING THE 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

On 2025-04-03, Representative Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING THE 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY" in the House.

CELEBRATING THE 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 60 (Thursday, April 3, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 60 (Thursday, April 3, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E284] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY ______ HON. STENY H. HOYER of maryland in the house of representatives Thursday, April 3, 2025 Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a terrific institution that I am proud to represent in Maryland's Fifth District: Bowie State University. On January 9, 2025. the school marked its 160th anniversary. The school will celebrate that historic milestone with a gala later this month. The oldest historically Black university in Maryland, Bowie State University (BSU) has been a beacon of opportunity, innovation, and academic excellence in our state and country ever since it was founded as the Baltimore Normal School for Colored Teachers in 1865. Many of its first students were recently emancipated Marylanders. The school offered Black Americans a pathway to educational--and economic-- advancement at a time when they were largely barred from such opportunities. Back in 1865, the school had only a few small rooms and a handful of students. Today, BSU boasts a 339-acre campus and over 6,350 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers more than 65 bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and certificate programs. From quantum computing and artificial intelligence to biotech and pharmaceutical development, BSU students are producing cutting-edge research in the fields that will define the global 21st-century economy. Indeed, just this year, BSU received the distinguished 2025 Carnegie Research Activity Classification in recognition of its trailblazing research. Mr. Speaker, I've worked with many BSU students, faculty, and staff over the decades, and I can personally attest to how impressive they are. They are leaders not only in their fields but also in our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on this milestone. I have no doubt that BSU's next 160 years will be just as successful as its first 160 years. ____________________