[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 51 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          JEAN MAYER HUMAN NUTRITION RESEARCH CENTER ON AGING

  Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4204, a bill to 
designate the Federal building on Washington Street in Boston as the 
``Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging,'' just received 
from the House; that the bill be deemed read the third time, passed, 
and the motion to reconsider laid upon the table; that a statement by 
Senator Kennedy relating to this measure be included in the Record at 
the appropriate place.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  So the bill (H.R. 4204) was deemed read the third time, and passed.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the pending bill will confer a well-
deserved honor on a world renowned nutritionist for his outstanding 
contributions toward ending world hunger. I am proud to give my support 
to this measure to designate the Federal building at 711 Washington 
Street in Boston as the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on 
Aging.
  The center, which was established by Congress in 1977 and is operated 
by Tufts University, houses 250 research and support staff studying the 
role of nutrition in the aging process of senior citizens. The center 
serves as a national model for an effective partnership between 
government, universities, and the private sector in developing 
innovative methods for improving nutrition. Naming the facility for 
Jean Mayer is a fitting tribute to a man who devoted his life to this 
cause for peoples throughout the world.
  Jean Mayer, who died in January 1993, was a remarkably talented and 
dedicated man who distinguished himself as a war hero, university 
president, and international leader in the battle against hunger. He 
served as an adviser to three Presidents, and helped develop national 
and international policies to combat hunger and improve nutrition, 
especially among the poor and elderly.
  He was born and raised in France, and joined the French Army in World 
War II. He was captured by German forces, but escaped from a prison 
camp and rejoined the French forces to work underground. After the war, 
he came to the United States where he was destined to become one of 
this country's greatest immigrants.
  He joined the faculty at Harvard University in 1950, where he taught 
classes on nutrition and public health. For many years, he served as an 
advisor on public policy issues to Congress, the U.N. Food and 
Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization and the U.N. 
Children's Fund. In 1966, he became one of the first American 
scientists to speak out against the use of herbicides in the Vietnam 
War.
  In 1969, under President Nixon, he organized the highly regarded 
White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, which produced a 
much greater national understanding of the problem of hunger in our 
land of plenty, and led directly to a large expansion of the food stamp 
and school lunch programs. Jean Mayer was one of the first to recognize 
the important connection between nutrition and achievement, and he 
worked hard to make this finding a key part of the Nation's policy. As 
a result of his extraordinary efforts, Federal spending on food 
programs for poor and elderly citizens increased more than fivefold in 
a period of 3 years--from $800 million in 1969 to $4.2 billion in 1972.
  Jean Mayer made hunger unacceptable not only in America, but in many 
other lands as well. In 1969, he led a mission to the war-torn province 
of Biafra in Africa. As a result of his findings, the United States 
increased shipments of food and medical relief. He organized many other 
relief missions to impoverished countries and inspired an international 
conference on famine where, for the first time, an intentional policy 
of starvation was condemned as a violation of human rights.
  Jean Mayer served as the president of Tufts University in 
Massachusetts for 16 years, and built the small liberal arts college 
into an internationally renowned research institution. During his 
tenure, he founded the Nation's first graduate school of nutrition, 
created New England's only veterinary school, and established the 
Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and the Center for 
Environmental Management.
  The outstanding contributions that Jean Mayer made to Massachusetts, 
the Nation, and the world are now legendary. He was a remarkable person 
who devoted his remarkable life to helping others. This legislation is 
a fitting tribute to his many extraordinary accomplishments.
  Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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