[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO I. DONALD TERNER

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 1996

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. I. Donald Terner was one of the 32 
Americans accompanying Secretary Ron Brown on his mission to contribute 
to the rebuilding of Bosnia. He was aboard the military transport plane 
which crashed, killing all aboard. My most sincere condolences go out 
to his wife, Deirdre English, his children, and to all those whose 
lives Donald Terner improved with his many good works.
  Donald Terner was a man of truly extraordinary energy and commitment, 
and we are extremely fortunate that he chose to devote his talents to 
improving the lives of low-income families throughout California. As 
founder and president of Bridge Housing Corp., Donald Terner created a 
low-income housing enterprise which constructed nearly 6,000 homes in 
the 13 years the organization has been in business. Both the continuing 
success of the solid organization Donald Terner built and the thousands 
of families who will have a roof over their heads for years to come 
will serve as a lasting testament to the life of Donald Terner.
  Commerce Secretary Ron Brown was so impressed with the remarkable 
achievements of Donald Terner that he invited Mr. Terner to accompany 
him on a humanitarian mission to restore the housing resources 
destroyed by years of all-out war in Bosnia. Donald Terner was not 
deterred by the overwhelming difficulty of rebuilding this devastated 
region. Secretary Brown recognized in Donald Terner the same qualities 
that those who have worked with him have appreciated for decades. His 
humanitarian spirit combined with his unrelenting commitment to success 
in the face of adversity has allowed him to succeed in California and 
it would have propelled him to success in Bosnia.
  Donald Terner was known as a relentless promoter of low-income 
housing in California and throughout the world. Building affordable 
housing entails not only raising the necessary funds, but also the 
often more difficult task of convincing homeowners to allow the housing 
to be built in their neighborhoods. It was impossible, however, to say 
``no'' to Donald Terner. He was able to convince lenders and neighbors 
to support to projects because he believed that what he was doing would 
help people, and that made his persuasive powers all but irresistible.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in to Donald Terner 
for his commitment to making the world more livable for low-income 
people. His efforts in behalf of the community should serve as a model 
for all Americans. While we cannot all devote the time and energy that 
Donald Terner did, we can invoke his memory when our communities ask 
something of us.

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