[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 136 (Tuesday, September 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12630-S12631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING RICHARD A. GRASSO, COOLEY'S ANEMIA FOUNDATION'S HUMANITARIAN 
                              OF THE YEAR

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Mr. 
Richard A. Grasso, chairman and chief executive officer of the New York 
Stock Exchange on his selection as the recipient of the first annual 
Humanitarian of the Year Award presented by the Cooley's Anemia 
Foundation. The Cooley's Anemia Foundation is honoring Mr. Grasso for 
his support, friendship, and tireless efforts on behalf of the patients 
and families who are impacted by this devastating blood disease.
  As the father of young children himself, Mr. Grasso, I believe, has a 
keen understanding of the importance of supporting the efforts led by 
the Cooley's Anemia Foundation to find a cure for what the World Health 
Organization has identified as the most common inherited genetic blood 
disease in the world.
  Mr. Grasso has had a distinguished career over the last 26 years at 
the New York Stock Exchange. He is the first member of the New York 
Stock Exchange staff to be elected to the position of chairman and 
chief executive officer in the exchange's 200-year history. He has 
exhibited what is best about the American spirit--he has given back to 
his community by working on behalf of many good causes.
  Just consider the following. He is currently Chairman of the board of 
trustees of Junior Achievement of New York and he serves on the board 
of directors of the National Italian-American Foundation. Mr. Grasso is 
a trustee of the New York City Police Foundation, as well as a member 
of the board of directors of the Washington, DC-based police 
foundation. He also serves on the St. Vincent's Hospital Board of 
Trustees in New York City. He is the honorary chairman of the Friends 
of the Statue of Liberty National Monument-Ellis Island Foundation. He 
even finds time to serve his own local community, Old Brookville, NY, 
as police commissioner and village trustee.
  His receipt of the Cooley's Anemia Foundation's Humanitarian of the 
Year Award adds to the many awards and honors he has already received, 
including the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Tomorrow's 
Children's Fund, the Special Achievement Award in Business from the 
National Italian-American Foundation, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor 
from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the Good Scout 
Award from the Greater New York Councils for Boy Scouts of America, and 
the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and 
Jews. Most recently, he was honored in 1994 as the Man of the Year by 
the Catholic Big Brothers organization. He is indeed a special person, 
having risen to the top ranks of his profession and still finding time 
to give back to these worthwhile causes.
  His efforts on behalf of the Cooley's Anemia Foundation are 
particularly important and special to me. I know many of the families 
and patients who must deal with treating this disease every day of 
their lives. Every 2 weeks, Cooley's anemia patients require 
transfusions of red blood cells. Every day they must wear a special 
pump that painfully infuses a drug for 12 hours. But, because of 
research over the last several decades, treatment has been developed 
which prolongs the life of Cooley's anemia patients. Twenty years ago, 
most patients rarely lived past the age of 10; today many are living 
into their twenties and trying to be productive citizens. Now, 
promising new research is being conducted into Cooley's anemia, giving 
us all great hope that some day it will be curable.
  That is why the efforts of people like Richard Grasso are so 
important. At a time when new research opportunities are before us, we 
must ensure that the resources of private philanthropic organizations, 
such as the Cooley's Anemia Foundation, are strengthened. Additionally, 
we must assure that the Federal commitment continues. 

[[Page S 12631]]

  Again, I congratulate Richard Grasso on his receipt of the Cooley's 
Anemia Foundation first annual Humanitarian of the Year Award. With his 
continued support and assistance, I am confident that we will indeed 
live to see a cure. He is an example for us all.

                          ____________________