Obey to be honored by College of Natural Resources

U.S. Congressman David Obey will be honored this Saturday as an "Outstanding Contributor" to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources (CNR) and will give the keynote address for the annual Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Obey has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1969. During that time, he has consistently been an advocate for UWSP and its colleges.

He will join other CNR award recipients at Rendezvous 2000, Saturday, April 15, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Sentry Theater. Rendezvous celebrates student achievement with more than 120 student awards. Special recognition also will be given to CNR faculty, alumni and friends.

Obey's hall of fame address will be at 10 a.m. at the Sentry Theater.

The congressman was the catalyst behind the recent $2.15 million grant given to the college through the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). The grant, which will be administered over the next several years, will enable the college to remain at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning.

"Were it not for Dave Obey, this timely federal appropriation would likely have passed us by," said Chancellor Tom George. "We’ve had the good fortune of having a federal congressional delegation that understands the leading role higher education plays in our economic well-being."

A graduate of Wausau High School and UW-Madison, Obey served four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly before beginning his long and distinguished career in Congress. He is the only member of the House to have served on the three major economic committees in Congress, the Budget Committee, the Joint Economic Committee and the Appropriations Committee. In addition to providing strong leadership in the areas of legislation and appropriations, Obey also led the way in establishing ethics standards for lawmakers.

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