Honors the life of Dr. William Spoelhof and his devoted service as a member of the military, teacher, and professor, president, and friend of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H. Res. 91 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 91
Honoring the life and service of Dr. William Spoelhof, president
emeritus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 27, 2009
Mr. Ehlers submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and service of Dr. William Spoelhof, president
emeritus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Whereas Dr. William Spoelhof was born on December 8, 1909, in Paterson, New
Jersey, and passed away on December 3, 2008, at the age of 98;
Whereas in 1931, Dr. Spoelhof graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, and began teaching social studies at the middle school level;
Whereas in 1937, Dr. Spoelhof received his Master of Arts degree from Columbia
University and began his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan;
Whereas during World War II, Dr. Spoelhof served our country by joining the
Office of Strategic Services in 1942 and enlisting in the Navy in 1943;
Whereas following the war, Dr. Spoelhof completed his doctoral work at the
University of Michigan, and, in 1946, returned to Calvin College to
teach history and political science;
Whereas in 1956, 5 years after becoming president of Calvin College, Dr.
Spoelhof oversaw the process of moving Calvin College from its original
Franklin Street campus located near downtown Grand Rapids to its current
Knollcrest campus in southeast Grand Rapids;
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof carefully balanced Calvin College's vision for excellence
in academics with its relationship with the Christian Reformed Church,
as he effectively steered the College through church conflicts and the
tumultuous, nationwide student protests of the 1960s;
Whereas in 1976, after 25 years of service as an administrator, Dr. Spoelhof
became the longest-serving president in Calvin College's history to date
and announced his retirement;
Whereas after his formal retirement, Dr. Spoelhof was named president emeritus
and maintained an office and steady presence at the College, offering
continued support and goodwill whenever needed;
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof was a Christian role model and mentor to many faculty
members, staff, and students, as he provided wisdom and counsel to
thousands of individuals during his more than 6 decades of service to
Calvin College;
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof is fondly remembered for his contributions to daily
discussions with retired faculty and students at the ``Emeritorium'' and
for his kind words to passersby around the campus;
Whereas on December 3, 2004, Calvin College physics and astronomy professor,
Larry Molnar, discovered an asteroid, and named it Asteroid 129099
Spoelhof in honor of Dr. Spoelhof;
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof was a respected leader in the Christian Reformed Church
denomination, an educator of generations of teachers and ministers
through programs at Calvin College, a faithful presence at the
denominational Synod meetings, and a loyal member of the Neland Avenue
Christian Reformed Church;
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof was awarded the Bronze Star Medal by the Navy for his
service in World War II;
Whereas, for his contributions in liaison with the Dutch Resistance Movement,
Dr. Spoelhof was honored by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands with the
Order of Orange-Nassau with swords and a laurel wreath;
Whereas in 1935, Dr. Spoelhof married Miss Angeline Nydam, and they had three
children, Robert Spoelhof, Elsa Scherphorn, and Peter Spoelhof;
Whereas Ange, as Dr. Spoelhof lovingly called his wife, passed away in 1994; and
Whereas Dr. Spoelhof lived a life of gratitude and desired to bring God's glory
in all he did, and, on December 3, 2008, the Calvin College community
lost a visionary leader and wise friend: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life of Dr.
William Spoelhof and his outstanding devotion and service as a member
of the military, teacher, and professor, president, and friend of
Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Mr. Polis (CO) moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2893-2894)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 91.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2893)
On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2893)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
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