WHEREAS, The Religious Sisters of Mercy were chartered by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1934 to establish a college in Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS, The Sisters of Mercy opened Salve Regina in Newport on September 24, 1947; and

WHEREAS, Salve Regina has grown from a small college for women to become a co-educational university of distinction comprised of 40 undergraduate and 16 graduate academic programs; and

WHEREAS, Salve Regina has provided a college education to thousands of students from Rhode Island and throughout the United States and from foreign countries over the past 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Salve Regina University has taken a prominent place in the preservation of historic architecture and landscape in the City of Newport; and

WHEREAS, Salve Regina University has contributed greatly to the educational, cultural, social and business life of Rhode Island; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby extends its thanks to Salve Regina University for its contributions to the welfare of Rhode Island and offers its congratulations and best wishes to Salve Regina on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the university; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Salve Regina University.