SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1995-8606

By Senators Fraser and C. Anderson

     WHEREAS,  Saint Martin's College, the oldest institution of higher education in the Olympia area, will celebrate one century of educational excellence on September 11, 1995; and 

     WHEREAS, Saint Martin's College and Abbey have been centers of spiritual and academic development in the state of Washington since they first opened their doors in a city called Woodland, later to become Lacey, Washington; and

     WHEREAS, In 1895, the founding year of the school, The Olympian newspaper envisioned the vast local significance Saint Martin's College would have on its community when it proclaimed, "It is hardly possible to realize the great benefits which will accrue to the Olympia area by having such an institution..."; and

     WHEREAS, Olympia Mayor John Byrne and local business owners also recognized the significant local contribution of Saint Martin's by forming an organization in 1891 to help purchase the present site of Saint Martin's College and Abbey in Lacey, Washington; and

     WHEREAS, Local legend says the first student, Angus McDonald of Shelton, arrived at Saint Martin's College by canoe on September 11, 1895; and

     WHEREAS, The entire student body consisted of only one student for the first few months of the college's existence, and he was extended a full academic schedule consisting of writing, diction and study hall based upon the strong belief by the founding monks "that one person's education is an important contribution to mankind"; and

    WHEREAS, The institution first was established by Benedictine monks as a boy's grammar school in 1895, Saint Martin's began offering college-level classes at the turn of the century and was deemed a four-year accredited, baccalaureate-granting institution in 1940; and

     WHEREAS, In 1965, Saint Martin's opened its doors to women, offering them the opportunity to receive the same high quality education that until then only males were permitted to attain; and

     WHEREAS, Saint Martin's College furthered its strong educational commitment by continuing to offer high school academics as well as a college-level curriculum until 1974; and

     WHEREAS, Father Sebastian Ruth founded the first Olympia-area radio station, called KGY, in a log cabin on the campus of Saint Martin's in the 1920's, then used the station to broadcast the first live local radio coverage of the World Series and help the Elks club of Olympia raise charitable funds for the needy in the community; and

     WHEREAS, Saint Martin's is one of only twelve Benedictine institutions of higher learning in the United States and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains; and

     WHEREAS, In one century of service, the college has grown to serve hundreds of students on its main campus in Lacey and also extends educational opportunities to hundreds more students at two additional campuses on the McChord Air Force Base and the Fort Lewis Army Post in Tacoma, Washington; and 

     WHEREAS,  Saint Martin's commitment to using computers in education has ranked the college's student computer center, with Harvard and Columbia, as one of the top three in the nation by Computers in Education magazine; and

     WHEREAS, Saint Martin's also was heralded by Electronic Learning magazine for having the largest educational software collection on the west coast of the United States; and 

     WHEREAS, The alumni of Saint Martin's College fill a variety of leadership roles in civic, corporate, governmental and charitable organizations throughout the state of Washington and the United States, and in twenty-eight nations around the world; and

     WHEREAS, The community of Saint Martin's is in the midst of a year-long centennial observance, which will include the one hundredth commencement class ceremony scheduled for May 12, 1995, and a Centennial Homecoming Week set to begin  February 4, 1995, and conclude February 12, 1995;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington honors the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Saint Martin's College and Abbey on September 11, 1995, and the celebratory events of the year as the college enters its second century of service to the state of Washington reaffirming its dedication to educational excellence; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Saint Martin's College and Abbey in Lacey, Washington.

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1995-8606,

adopted by the Senate February 15, 1995.

MARTY BROWN

Secretary of the Senate