Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor Dr. Edwin Welch upon his retirement as president of the University of Charleston after a 29-year legacy of innovation that has advanced the university into a world-class institution. As a former White House employee during the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations, an ordained minister, a college professor, provost, and president, Dr. Welch brought a wealth of experience and drive to the Mountain State. Since his first days at U.C. in 1989, Dr. Welch had a clear vision for the university, keeping in mind the needs of the Charleston community and of West Virginia. Our State is so unique to the rest of the Nation. We are home to the most hard-working, creative, hospitable people in the country--very much self-made people. Dr. Welch knows what a college education means to them and to their families, and so he has spent his career developing new opportunities for them to use to their advantage. Together, with faculty, staff, and the community, Dr. Welch sought to forecast challenges and opportunities and to create the best possible strategies for maintaining a strong institution. His collaborative vision brought the university back from the brink of financial peril and allowed it to grow and thrive. Under his leadership, more than 20 construction projects have reinvigorated U.C., which has also seen a dramatic increase in enrollment throughout the years.…”