[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 88 (Monday, July 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      TRIBUTE TO JAMES L. ISENOGLE

  Mr. JOHNSTON. Mr. President, on July 2, 1994, this country lost one 
of its best public servants and a great man. From 1957 until his 
retirement in 1987 James L. Isenogle served the United States as an 
officer of the National Park Service. His legacy, however, will 
continue to serve the Park Service, Louisiana, and this Nation for many 
years to come.
  Jim Isenogle was the first superintendent of the Jean Lafitte 
National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana. It was in large 
part thanks to Jim that so many historically and biologically rich 
areas of Louisiana are being preserved and maintained for future 
generations. The Lafitte Park complex includes not only the Barataria 
wetlands south of New Orleans, but also the Chalmette battlefield and a 
string of institutions celebrating the cultures of the Acadians, 
Italians, Germans, Spanish, and native Americans who settled in south 
Louisiana and added diversity to what can be called the Louisiana 
Culture Gumbo.
  We were very fortunate to have had Jim Isenogle's talent, vision, 
patience, and commitment for a time. It was because of Jim's 
extraordinary capability that the Jean Lafitte Park truly is as the New 
York Times once described it ``America's most unique park.''

  He cared deeply about the land, but he also cared deeply about 
people. Jim worked hard to give them dignity and recognition and to 
include everyone in the park, which he firmly believed was truly for 
the people.
  In beginning to establish the Jean Lafitte Park, many would have 
concentrated on natural resource protection alone; that would have been 
a legacy by itself. But from the beginning, Jim aggressively led the 
effort to implement immediately the mandate in the legislation to 
include cultural interpretation in the park. Through Jim's insight, the 
first cooperative agreement was signed to establish the Islenos Unit in 
St. Bernard Parish. This unit not only tells the story of, but also 
celebrates the many contributions of the too often forgotten Canary 
Islanders to Louisiana's cultural, economic, and political development. 
Jim reached out to them, and found a way to include them in the park 
and in the history of the area.
  Jim reached out to others as well. He began a Black History Month 
Program in 1982--long before such programs were expected--and 
established a contact point in Armstrong Park to begin a dialog which 
has helped lay the foundation for what we hope will be a new park 
celebrating jazz in New Orleans. One of the first posters he 
commissioned was of George ``Big Chief Jolly'' Landry, head of the Wild 
Tchopitoulas Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, forging the way for a farsighted 
and sensitive cultural interpretation program.
  With Jim's help and leadership, the foundation was also laid for the 
development of the three Acadian cultural centers in Eunice, Lafayette, 
and Thibodaux. In his life of full service he also made great 
contributions in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Colorado, and he participated 
in studies for parks including sites in Florida and Alaska. Jim was 
recognized for his great contributions by the Park Service with two 
commendations and by the Department of the Interior with the 
Meritorious Service Award.
  James Isenogle has left us a great legacy and a great challenge. He 
created the vision for the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and 
Preserve; it is up to us to see that we implement and continue to 
develop it to keep this vision alive. He will be truly missed.

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