[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 74 (Friday, May 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO NAOMI NOVER

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, on April 22, the Washington journalism 
community lost one of its most enduring figures. For decades, Naomi 
Nover was a distinctive presence on Capitol Hill and at the White 
House, often claiming a front-row seat at Presidential news 
conferences. Known for her perseverance and her determination to 
continue her passion for journalism, Naomi fell ill last month while 
renewing her Senate press credentials. It was the first day for gallery 
members to renew their press cards, and as usual, Naomi was one of the 
first in line.
  A native of Buffalo, NY, she and her husband Barney moved to 
Washington in 1936. After receiving a masters degree from George 
Washington University, she worked with her husband for the Denver Post, 
wrote a column called ``Washington Dateline,'' produced a radio program 
called ``Views and Interviews,'' and when Barney Nover retired from the 
Denver Post in 1971, Naomi cofounded the Nover News Bureau. After her 
husband passed away in 1973, Naomi established a journalism prize in 
his memory, the Barnet Nover Memorial Award, given for journalistic 
excellence at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner.
  Naomi's perseverance was legendary. Sam Donaldson tells an admiring 
story about the time Naomi was hit by a truck while crossing 
Pennsylvania Avenue. ``The vehicle was almost totalled,'' Donaldson 
says. ``She walked away without a scratch.'' President Clinton called 
her ``years of dedication to her craft and her efforts to cover events 
* * * a lesson to us all in hard work and the persistence of the human 
spirit.''
  Mr. President, I know all my colleagues join me in sending our 
warmest condolences to Naomi's friends and family.

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