[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 TRIBUTE TO JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS

  Mr. SASSER. Mr. President, I join with my colleagues in paying 
tribute to former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
  Jacqueline Kennedy came to the White House in 1961 as the third 
youngest First Lady in American history. In three short years, her 
elegance and grace set a standard by which all future First Ladies have 
been judged.
  She restored the White House and made it a national treasure. Under 
her guidance, sources of historic pieces of art and furniture were 
returned to the White House. She also made the White House a showcase 
for the arts--featuring the work of such world-renowned artists as 
Pablo Casals.
  When developers threatened Lafayette Park, across from the White 
House, Mrs. Kennedy stepped in. Lafayette Park was saved and the 
historic setting of the White House was preserved.
  Equally important, however, she made a secure and happy home for her 
family in the White House, giving her children the privacy and security 
that all children need.
  It is difficult now to recreate the feeling of idealism of that time. 
It was as if a New American Age had dawned and anything was possible. 
That belief, and our own innocence, ended in one shattering moment.
  Those of us who lived through those terrible days in November of 1963 
will never forget the grace, and dignity, and courage Mrs. Kennedy 
displayed. She quite literally held our country together in its grief.
  After President Kennedy's assassination, during her remarriage and 
her career in publishing, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis guarded her 
privacy zealously. She continued her involvement and support for the 
arts and historic preservation. She worked to save such historic sites 
as New York's Grand Central Terminal. As a book editor, she continued 
her commitment to culture, editing books on the arts and history.
  Throughout her life, Jacqueline Onassis never hesitated in saying 
that she considered raising her children to be the most important thing 
in her life. In the past few years we have seen just how successful she 
has been--raising her children to be responsible adults with a 
commitment to public service.
  Although Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has been taken from us too young, 
she has left us a legacy of grace and dignity and common sense. She 
graced our lives with her presence and we are the poorer for her 
passing.

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