FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2016
Obama Accepts Rutgers’ Invitation after Pallone led letter asking him
to Speak at Commencement
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) applauded the news that President Obama will deliver the keynote address at Rutgers University’s 250th Anniversary Commencement in May 2016. Last month, Pallone led members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to accept Rutgers University’s invitation. Rutgers is located in Congressman Pallone’s district.
“I am thrilled that President Obama will take part in the celebration of the enormous contributions that Rutgers has made to New Jersey and our country over the last 250 years,” said Pallone. “Rutgers is one of the largest and most prestigious research universities in the nation and President Obama’s acceptance of this invitation is a reflection of the excellence of the entire Rutgers community. I am extremely proud to represent the Rutgers community in Congress and look forward to continuing to celebrate its 250th anniversary.”
Pallone’s letter to President Obama is attached and included below.
March 22, 2016
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
Dear President Obama:
We write to encourage you to accept Rutgers University's invitation to deliver the keynote address for its 250th Anniversary Commencement on May 15, 2016.
Started as Queens College in 1766 under the royal charter of George III, Rutgers is one of the original nine colonial colleges and the only one to become a flagship state land-grant university. Today, Rutgers is one of the largest and most prestigious research universities in the nation and home to world class research across all academic disciplines.
Throughout the University's long and distinguished history, Rutgers students and scholars have attained significant achievements in a variety of areas. In 1869, New Brunswick hosted the first intercollegiate football game, and in 1952, Professor Selman Waksman won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for research leading to the discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic treatment effective against tuberculosis.
Additionally, Rutgers students have been named Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Fellows, Gates Cambridge Scholars, Churchill Scholars, Truman Scholars, Woodrow Wilson Scholars, and Udall Scholars. The faculty includes MacArthur "Genius Award" winners, recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology, Pulitzer Prize winners, and dozens of members of the National Academies.
Rutgers has been recognized as one of the most diverse universities in the nation with students hailing from all 50 states and more than 115 countries. Rutgers educates more than 67,000 full-time students on its three campuses and is committed to introducing first generation, low-income, and academically motivated students to the promise of a college education through its Rutgers Future Scholars Program.
We are pleased to come together to support Rutgers University's invitation for you to address the graduates of the 250th Anniversary Commencement. Your participation will make this important milestone in Rutgers' history all the more memorable and auspicious.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
