[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 10, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14876-S14877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO RACHEL M. SCHLESINGER

  Mr. GLENN. Madam President, the United States lost a wonderful woman 
and we lost a good friend today. Rachel Schlesinger died today in 
Arlington, VA, after a long-time struggle against cancer. She was the 
wife, the partner, indeed a wonderful supporter of James Schlesinger, 
who served in Cabinet positions in three separate administrations for 
this country. In all the agencies in which her husband served, she was 
universally loved.
  I do not think I ever heard a hint of criticism about Rachel 
Schlesinger in all the years in Washington. She was born in 
Springfield, OH, in 1930 and grew up on the family farm, which she 
still owned with her sisters up to the time of her passing. Her 
father's family had come to southwestern Ohio from Pennsylvania Dutch 
country. Her mother's family had migrated from the German Palatinate 
and settled in rural Missouri. Her father was a livestock raiser and so 
called himself a dirt farmer who managed to survive the Depression, 
which was tough back in those days, of course. Rachel was an 
outstanding student at Springfield High School. She won a scholarship 
to Radcliffe College, which was then a woman's college at Harvard 
University, in 1948. She won honors in American history and literature. 
She graduated with honors in American history and literature.
  After college, Rachel moved to New York and became a college editor 
at Mademoiselle magazine, and in 1954, she married Jim Schlesinger, 
whom she had known since her college years. She became a freelance 
writer but devoted her time mainly to family life.
  Over time, they lived in Arlington, MA, Charlottesville, VA, Newport, 
RI, Santa Monica, CA, and Arlington, VA. Jim and Rachel had eight 
children: Cora, Charles, Ann, William, Emily, Thomas, Clara, and Jim, 
Jr. They all reside in Arlington, save for Charles, who is an engineer 
in Texas, and Ann, who lives with her husband and children in Prague.
  Rachel had mixed feelings about her husband's Government service, but 
only rarely did she involve herself in public issues. One such occasion 
did occur in 1971 when her husband was Chairman of the Atomic Energy 
Commission. The Commission was about to test the warhead for the 
Spartan missile in the Aleutian Islands. There were widespread protests 
developed in this country and overseas primarily associated with the 
peace movement and the environmental movement. It was said that the 
underground detonation would probably initiate an earthquake and maybe 
even a Sunami wave that would inflict widespread damages throughout the 
Pacific.
  Well, Rachel simply packed up two of her daughters and headed with 
her husband to Amchitka Island, where the test was to take place. The 
action of the family in going to the island quieted much of the alarm 
that the prospective test had generated.
  In 1975, she accompanied her husband on an extended trip to Asia. It 
was the first trip to Japan by a United States Secretary of Defense 
since World War II. Needless to say, the trip, again, generated very 
widespread protests, but also an outpouring of support along with it. 
The trip occurred after the fall of Saigon. Kim Il-Song was uttering 
threats to overrun South Korea, just as South Vietnam had been overrun. 
And in Korea, there was great concern regarding the strength of the 
American commitment. The visit of Mrs. Schlesinger and her husband did 
much to reassure the Korean Government and public that American support 
was steadfast and that North Korea would be given no latitude for 
aggressive action.
  In the 1980's, with her children departing from home, Mrs. 
Schlesinger again became active in local and charitable affairs. She 
was a very dedicated and accomplished musician. She served as a 
violinist with the Arlington Symphony Orchestra since 1983 and served 
on the board of directors with the symphony since 1987 and on the 
executive committee since 1990. She was founder and first chairman of 
the Ballston Pops, which she originally organized and continued to 
organize each May, and which will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary.
  Mrs. Schlesinger served on the overseas committee to visit the 
Memorial Church at Harvard. She was deacon of 

[[Page S 14877]]
Georgetown Presbyterian Church. She also taught and began to raise 
Christmas trees as a business, and even delivered most of these trees 
herself.
  Despite the glamour of much official life in Washington, Rachel 
always referred to herself as a country girl. In her later years, she 
became more involved in the preservation of historic sites and 
increasingly the preservation of rural land. So, in addition to her 
civic and charitable work and her small business, she was very devoted 
to music, to gardening and, of course, her biggest devotion of all was 
to her family.
  She is survived by Jim, who is a good friend of ours, of course, and 
many people here, as she was also. She is survived by her eight 
children, six grandchildren, and three sisters, Mrs. Ann Kirkwood of 
Prescott, AZ; Janice Lynn of Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY; and Rebecca 
Mellinger (Mrs. Jane Engelthanier) of Chicago, IL. She had one sister 
who preceded her in death, Mrs. Judith Peterson of Upper Arlington, OH.
  Madam President, I just wanted to get that in today on the same day 
on which we lost this very good friend and dedicated American and 
wonderful supporter. I know her family is missing her, and our thoughts 
and prayers go out to them this evening.
  I yield the floor.

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