[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 188 (Tuesday, November 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17672-S17673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE DEATH OF HENRY J. KNOTT, SR.

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, with great sadness, I rise today 
to pay tribute to an extraordinary man. Henry J. Knott, Sr., died 
yesterday at the age of 89. For many decades, we knew him in Baltimore 
and throughout Maryland as a talented businessman and a philanthropist 
whose generosity knew no bounds.
  I first want to express my deepest condolences to his wife of 67 
years, Marion Burk Knott, his 12 children, his 51 grandchildren, and 
his 55 great-grandchildren.
  People in positions of power and responsibility should serve as role 
models for our young people and give something back to their 
communities. I have great admiration for people who have a sense of 
civic responsibility, for people who try to make their community a 
better place to live.
  Mr. Knott epitomized these qualities. Throughout his career, he 
sought to help those less fortunate than himself get a better education 
and lead better lives. He donated millions of dollars to Catholic 
educational institutions like his alma mater, Loyola College; Mount St. 
Mary's College, Emmitsburg; the College of Notre Dame in Maryland; and 
the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He was especially generous to 
the Institute of Notre Dame, a catholic high school both his daughters 
and I attended.
  His legendary generosity extended well beyond education. He provided 
enormous help to health and cultural institutions as well. He donated 
essential funds to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Johns Hopkins 
Oncology Center, and several Baltimore hospitals to help them establish 
an income fund to provide medical care for the poor.
  His many business activities earned him a reputation as a highly 
disciplined and hard-working person. But his civic and charitable 
activities showed us that he was also an extremely modest person who 
had very deep feelings for the Catholic Church, his community, and the 
people around him.
  In a 1987 Baltimore magazine article, he was asked about his 
prodigious philanthropy. He replied that making money was ``like 
catching fish. You get up early. You fill the boat up with fish. And 
then you give them all away before they start to rot.'' This quote says 
a great deal about Henry Knott. He saw his wealth as a way to make life 
better for others. He never lost sight of this goal. 

[[Page S 17673]]

  I mourn Henry Knott's death along with his family and the rest of 
Maryland. We will miss him greatly. However, I am very grateful that he 
was with us for 89 years, and I rejoice that he left Maryland and our 
Nation a better place than he found it.

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