[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12469-S12470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE FOR CONNIE WOODRUFF

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, New Jersey recently lost a 
remarkable woman, Connie Woodruff, who passed away on October 20. A 
veteran leader of New Jersey's African-American community, she will be 
remembered by many as a friend, mentor and supporter. And her work on 
behalf of the women of our state constitutes a permanent legacy.
  Mr. President, if Connie Woodruff had a motto, it was, undoubtedly, 
that we make a living by what we gain, but we make a life by what we 
give. And her life was an example of generosity and compassion which 
should serve as a benchmark for all of us. In West Orange, she was 
chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission. And she was active in the 
Essex County ``Stamp Out Hate'' campaign, sponsored by the American 
Jewish Committee. She was appointed to various commissions by six 
governors, including the state's Commission on Judicial Review and the 
New Jersey Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission. Governor 
Whitman also appointed her an Essex County Tax Court Judge.
  Over the years, Connie served on the board of more than 20 
organizations, including the NAACP, the Urban League of Essex County 
Guild, The Leaguers, Newark YMWCA and New Jersey Cities in Schools. For 
several years, she was chairwoman of the University of Medicine and 
Dentistry of New Jersey's Board of Concerned Citizens.
  Mr. President, although everyone in New Jersey benefited from her 
compassion and caring, she will be especially missed by the women of 
our State. During her 20 years with the Ladies Garment Workers Union, 
she battled to improve the working conditions for thousands of workers, 
mostly women. Later, she was an adjunct professor of labor studies at 
Rutgers-Newark, before moving on to Essex County College, where she 
spent the last 10 years of her career in education. At ECC, she was 
credited with helping to turn the dream of a Women's Center into 
reality. The Center's Director has remarked that Woodruff's life was 
dedicated to helping women become personally and financially self-
sufficient. She also established the Connie Woodruff Nursing 
Scholarships at Essex County College.
  Mr. President, Connie Woodruff served 16 years as chairwoman of the 
New Jersey Commission on the Status of Women, and she won two terms as 
president of the National Association of Commissions on Women, becoming 
president emeritus by acclamation.

[[Page S12470]]

  As a writer for the City News, one of the most important voices of 
the African-American community in New Jersey, she married her special 
wit and biting insight into all the black political players. And she 
was one of the most astute political minds I have ever known.
  Mr. President, New Jerseyans will miss Connie Woodruff's scholarship 
and leadership, and I will also miss her friendship. Countless 
individuals were helped by her and touched by her. And she made a 
difference in the lives of thousands of ordinary people. A champion for 
women's rights, human rights and civil rights, Connie Woodruff proved 
that good and great can exist in the same individual.

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