[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 26, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   TRIBUTE TO CAROL KOUSNETZ STERKIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Clayton). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of February 11, 1994, the gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne] 
is recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BYRNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
remarkable scientist, wife, and mother whose contributions to the 
American scientific community deserve our highest accolades and 
profound admiration.
  Although an accomplished scientist in her own right, Carol Kousnetz 
Sterkin will be most remembered as the legendary head of the Literature 
Search Function at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory [JPL] in Pasadena, CA, 
a position she held with distinction for the past 30 years.
  Ms. Sterkin's passions were in research and technical writing. At the 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library, she combined the research skills of 
a librarian with the knowledge of a scientist.
  She was a pioneer in the development of global access to on-line 
scientific and technical data bases and was one of the original 
developers of on-line information systems that provide scientists 
worldwide with the capability to share and pool knowledge. Until the 
time of her death, she remained one of the world's ranking experts in 
this field.
  One of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's principal scientists said of 
Ms. Sterkin that ``she knew so much it will be absolutely impossible to 
replace her.'' The truth of this statement is borne out by the fact 
that her position remains vacant.
  Her loss will be felt, not only by her family and community, but 
throughout the scientific world for a long time. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring a truly great American, Carol Kousnetz Sterkin.

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