[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 129 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8508-H8509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTES TO LENNY DONNELLY AND KEITH JEWELL

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of myself, the gentleman 
from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], the majority leader, the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the minority whip, the gentleman from California 
[Mr. Fazio], the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus and the gentlewoman 
from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly], the vice chair of the Democratic 
Caucus, and all the leadership and members of the Democratic Caucus to 
note that today will be the last day of service for one of the beloved 
individuals of this House.
  I ask my colleagues this day to join me in bidding farewell to a 
woman who has been a fixture on the floor of this House and who has 
helped over 2,000 young people mature into active participants in the 
democratic process of this great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, today is the last day on Capitol Hill for Lenore 
Donnelly who has served as the Chief of Democratic Pages since 1985. 
She sits right behind me on the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, Lenny first came to Washington to work for Senator John 
F. Kennedy's Presidential campaign in 1959. She later became a member 
of his White House staff and remained at the White House during the 
administration of President Johnson at President Johnson's request.
  She worked for Senator Robert Kennedy as well. Lenny later became the 
Deputy Chief of the U.S. Capitol Guide Service and was appointed to 
Chief of the Democratic Pages by one of our most famous and beloved 
Speakers, Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill.
  All of us who have worked with Lenny know her to be a woman of 
uncommon grace, uncommon grace under pressure, and uncommon grace in 
the best of times. She is a person who truly loves this institution and 
reflects that in her actions and in her words.
  She has passed on that commitment to her Nation and to the House of 
Representatives, and, probably more importantly, to the thousands of 
Pages who have come here and under her guidance have flourished for the 
past 10 years.
  I know that one day, Mr. Speaker, a future Member of this House will 
serve here who was a page under Lenny Donnelly and, yes, maybe far more 
than one. The
 House and indeed the Nation will be a better place because that Member 
will carry with him the inspiration and the knowledge and the wisdom 
and the love of this institution imparted to him or to her by Lenny 
Donnelly.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] my 
friend, the Democratic whip.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for giving me the 
opportunity to express my best wishes to some very wonderful people.
  Mr. Speaker, we have come to the end of a long and exhausting 7-month 
schedule.
  I think all of us are looking forward to going back home and spending 
some time with our family and friends.
  But before we go, I wanted to rise today to pay tribute to the people 
you don't see in front of the C-SPAN cameras. I want to pay tribute to 
the men and women who work hard in this House every day.
  Over the past 8 months, we've debated a lot of different bills on 
this floor.
  Time and again, we've heard speaker after speaker remind us that 
government isn't just about programs or policy. It's about people.
  Well, the same goes for this House.
  In the 20 years I have been privileged to serve in this body, I have 
had the great pleasure of knowing some of the best, most decent people 
you'd ever want to meet.
  These people who believe in this institution, who care about this 
House, and who work hard day in and day out to serve the American 
people.
  Many of them spend long hours away from their families. Many of them 
are forced to order too many late-night pizzas.
  And I regret to say--many of them have not gotten the respect they 
deserve in recent days.
  But to the pages and the staff and the clerical workers and 
carpenters and everybody else who makes this House run--and especially 
to my staff--I want to say thank you.
  The work you're doing is making a difference, for this House and for 
this Nation. And never let anybody convince you otherwise.
  Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of people I could mention by name--
and I wish I had the time to do it here today. But I want to take a 
moment to mention just two of them, two people who are saying goodbye 
to this House after many years of dedicated service.
  Mr. Speaker, in all my time in this House, I have not met a nicer, 
kinder, friendlier person than Lenny Donnelly.

[[Page H 8509]]

  For the past 10 years, Lenny has been a fixture in this Chamber. 
Since 1985, she's run the Democratic page program here in the House.
  She'll proudly tell you that before she ever came to the House she 
worked for the Kennedy White House.
  But if you've ever wondered how a group of 15- and 16-year-old pages 
can travel hundreds of miles from their families, and away from their 
friends, to a strange city, and be made to feel like they're right at 
home: Lenny Donnelly is the reason.
  She doesn't have any special secrets. She just treats the pages like 
people.
  She takes an interest in their lives; she listens to their problems; 
she makes them proud of their accomplishments; and by believing in 
them, she helps them believe in themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, the pages who are lucky enough to serve in this body 
will remember a lot of things about Washington. But when people ask 
them what they'll remember the most--my guess is that they'll say 
``Lenny Donnelly.''
  Lenny, the young people you have taught--and the lessons you have 
taught them--will survive long after you're gone from this Chamber. And 
that's something to be proud of.
  Mr. Speaker, another good friend leaving us this week after years of 
dedicated service is one of the hardest working people on Capitol Hill, 
a sweet and decent man named Keith Jewell.
  For the past 30 years, Keith has seen and heard it all on Capitol 
Hill.
  As the House photographer his eye has been the eye of the Nation.
  During his tenure, Keith has served under six Speakers. He was the 
first photographer to capture a still image of a joint session of 
Congress.
  He photographed seven American Presidents. And as director of the 
Office of photography, he has coordinated more than 19,000 appointments 
each year--from the Queen of England right down to children on their 
first visit to the Nation's Capitol.
  And through it all he's remained the same patient, friendly man he's 
always been.
  Keith, you've made a lot of us look good over the years--even on the 
most hectic days.
  We're all going to miss the sight of you racing around this building 
carrying four or five cameras, with straps hanging around your neck, 
and that camera bag at your side.
  But someday, when there is nobody left to remember the sound of the 
voices in this Chamber today, America will still look back on the 
images you have captured with your camera and they're going to 
remember--as will we all.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a sad week for all of us.
  All of us are proud to have worked with Lenny and Keith--and proud to 
call them friends.
  And even though we're all going to miss them. I promise you this: 
We're never going to forget them.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I would add, before a final statement for 
Lenny, Keith Jewell is one of the finest people with whom of us have 
had the opportunity to work. It is a shame he is leaving. I am not 
going to discuss further the fact of why he has decided to leave, but I 
want to say that this House will be a lesser place for his loss.
  He and Lenny Donnelly have brought a true commitment to this 
institution, not just to us as individuals, not just to the pages and 
the Members, but to all of the people who have come in contact with 
this institution.
  The page system, I think, Mr. Speaker, is a uniquely important part 
of this institution. It allows young people to come from throughout the 
United States, spend some time not just in the Capital of their Nation 
but in the people's House, seeing day to day the operations of 
democracy, seeing, frankly, firsthand that the Members here on both 
sides of the aisle, liberals, conservatives, moderates, independent, 
work hard and care about their country, care about their oath of 
office.
                              {time}  1545

  Mr. Speaker, I think they carry back with them a special insight that 
they then impart to their peers who, I think, have a little better 
respect for their democracy, for the education that they recevied from 
our pages.
  Lenny Donnelly, Peggy, others who on a day-to-day basis deal with our 
pages, perform a great service for this institution, but, in a broader 
sense, a great service for our democracy.
  Lenny, we will miss you. We know that you and Ray are about, in a few 
short days, to travel to Ireland. Now, I do not know that a Donnelly 
will be very excited about going to Ireland, but I have a suspicion 
that that is probably the case and I am sure they will welcome you 
there.
  We look forward to your swift and safe return as we welcome you with 
open arms and deep gratitude every time you return. Good luck and 
Godspeed.
  Mr. SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). I thank the gentleman and thank 
all people who work for this wonderful Chamber.

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