Kevin Roberts: “we have a double privilege here today in that we obviously are celebrating Kansas State University being 150…”

“we have a double privilege here today in that we obviously are celebrating Kansas State University being 150, representing 150 years of outstanding academic service to our people, but also Emporia State University is 150 years old at the same time--a rather remarkable achievement. I know we would like to congratulate Emporia State on its 150th anniversary. Emporia State University is in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas, and it is also very dear to my family. My mother attended Emporia State and studied education. She went on to become a teacher. Emporia State is a teacher's university, second to none. But she, in her day and time, spent a lot of time educating Kansas children up in Atchison, KS, and was very much like the other proud and accomplished alumni from Emporia State. If a person wants to know about education, all they would have to do--as well as teacher involvement and teacher progress and some of the very serious challenges we face today in education--is stop by Emporia State. They have many fine programs and nothing but the best in terms of graduates who do such a great job. Throughout the past 150 years, Emporia State has grown to accommodate the needs of the State and the 6,500 students it currently serves. What was once the Kansas State Teaching College, Emporia State has now expanded greatly, offering a wide range of academic programs. In true Kansas fashion, the university has faced challenges head-on from its earliest days.…”