Title
Congratulating Girard College, its outstanding students and alumni, its accomplished academic and residential faculty, and its dedicated staff as Girard begins its 161st year, and furthermore celebrating Girard College’s distinguished history, its proud record of achievement and service to our City and its promise to keep the vision of Stephen Girard alive for future generations.
Body
WHEREAS, Girard College, one of the world’s first free, residential schools for children from single-parent families with limited financial resources, has just completed its 160th year; and
WHEREAS, Mirroring the history of our country, Girard has evolved from a 19th Century orphanage that trained white, fatherless boys in the professions and trades of that era to a 21st century boarding school that provides boys and girls of any race or creed with a free college-preparatory education; and
WHEREAS, While the school has undergone several transformations, it remains true to the vision of Stephen Girard (1750-1831), a French immigrant who came to Philadelphia in 1776, achieved remarkable success in shipping and banking, served as a member of the Philadelphia’s Select Council -- a forerunner of this body, provided both financial support and his personal care to victims of Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic in 1793, helped the United States finance the War of 1812, and left one of the greatest fortunes in American history to his adopted city to build and endow the North Philadelphia school that bears his name; and
WHEREAS, By changing the course of young lives, Stephen Girard’s hope was to make a lasting impact on American society; and
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of students have benefitted from Girard’s vision since the school opened its doors in 1848; and
WHEREAS, Girard's mission is “to prepare students for advanced education and life as informed, ethical and productive citizens through a rigorous educational program that promotes intellectual, social, and emotional growth”; and
WHEREAS, Girard’s 700 students in grades 1 through 12 come from families with limited financial resources, each headed by a single parent or guardian or, in some cases, by grandparents or other family members; and
WHEREAS, After a competitive admission process, each Girard student is awarded the equivalent of a $37,000-a-year scholarship for his or her schooling, room and board, books, clothing and other expenses; and
WHEREAS, Girard College’s outstanding academic and residential faculty members and dedicated staff provide its students with an intense educational experience, a rich program of extra-curricular activities, and a safe and supportive environment that helps them realize their full potential as young scholars and citizens; and
WHEREAS, The Girard College varsity boys basketball team's first-ever state championship in the 2009 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association's Class A tournament is representative of the school's drive to excel in all fields of endeavor; and
WHEREAS, 98 percent of Girard’s graduates are accepted by four-year colleges or universities, and 95 percent of them enroll each year; and
WHEREAS, Stephen Girard’s legacy also includes a distinctive 43-acre campus that includes his personal archives, two museum collections, and Founder’s Hall, a National Historic Landmark designed by Thomas U. Walter, the architect who designed the dome of the United States Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Girard College is one of Philadelphia’s world-class institutions, a model for philanthropists who have established similar schools elsewhere, and an enduring symbol of American generosity and faith in the opportunities for all to succeed envisioned at our nation’s founding; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby congratulate Girard College, its outstanding students and alumni, its accomplished academic and residential faculty, and its dedicated staff as Girard begins its 161st year, and furthermore celebrate Girard College’s distinguished history, its proud record of achievement and service to our City and its promise to keep the vision of Stephen Girard alive for future generations.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Girard College Council as evidence of the sincere sentiments and recognition of this legislative body.
End