[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 59 (Thursday, May 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4212-S4213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JACK SWIGERT STATUE PLACEMENT IN NATIONAL STATUARY HALL
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 25, which was received
from the House.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 25) providing for
acceptance of a statue of Jack Swigert, presented by the
State of Colorado, for placement in National Statuary Hall.
The Senate proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I am proud to announce on behalf of the
State of Colorado that today the Senate will have the opportunity to
approve House Resolution 25 to allow the placement of the statue of
Jack Swigert in National Statuary Hall.
Coloradans chose astronaut Jack Swigert as the second State statue to
be placed in the U.S. Capitol. He was elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives in 1982 representing the Sixth Congressional District.
Unfortunately, his successful campaign was beset by his battle with
bone-marrow cancer. The cancer spread quickly but he insisted on
traveling from Colorado to Washington despite his failing health. The
Representative-elect died only days before the swearing in ceremony.
Mr. Swigert is well known as one of the astronauts on the famous
Apollo 13 mission. The details of the mission are familiar to many; the
suspenseful story of the astronauts' journey was recently depicted in a
major movie. The ship and crew of Apollo suffered several complications
and disasters, including an oxygen tank explosion that threatened the
lives of the crew. It was the relentless determination and competence
demonstrated by Jack Swigert and the other crew members that made it
possible for the return of the spacecraft to Earth.
Jack Swigert was born in Denver. He began flying while he was in high
school and dedicated himself to becoming a pilot. After graduating from
the University of Colorado at Boulder he joined the Air Force and
served as a pilot during the Korean war. His strong desire to become an
astronaut inspired him to return to school after twice being rejected
by NASA's space program. He was admitted to the program at NASA on his
third try.
The statue of Jack Swigert will join the statue commemorating
Colorado native Dr. Florence Rena Sabin. Dr. Sabin broke many barriers
for women in the field of medicine. She entered medical school in 1893
and pursued a career in medical teaching and research. At a time when
women were not considered eligible for the medical teaching profession,
she became the first woman to attain the position of full professor at
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She also was the first woman to
be invited to join the Rockefeller Institute.
Upon returning to Colorado, Dr. Sabin was appointed to a subcommittee
on public health and helped to draft legislation reorganizing the State
health department. At the age of 76, Dr. Sabin took on the duties of
manager of the Department of Health and Welfare of Denver and continued
to implement public health legislation.
The passage of House Concurrent Resolution 25 will mark the
triumphant end to a 10-year effort to honor Mr. Swigert. The striking
statue, which was cast by the Lundeen brothers in my hometown of
Loveland, CO, will be provided entirely by private funding.
Jack Swigert's close friends remember him for his humbling tenacity
and courage. I remain in awe of his achievements and spirit, and I am
pleased that this statue will join Dr. Sabin in representing the State
of Colorado to everyone who visits the Capitol.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I join my colleague from Colorado,
Senator Wayne Allard, in supporting adoption of House Concurrent
Resolution 25, which authorizes the placement of the statue of Jack
Swigert in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol. This important resolution
was submitted by our colleague, Congressman Dan Schaefer, in the House
of Representatives, who is the dean of our delegation.
The inclusion of this statue would not be possible without the
efforts of many Coloradans, who I would like to thank for their
dedicated efforts. Among these groups, the Arapahoe County Republican
Men's Club stands out for its large contribution. Club members lobbied
the state legislature and donated substantial amounts of money in an
effort to commission the statue.
Also a key supporter of this effort was Veterans of Foreign Wars
Chapter 11229. This chapter was commissioned solely for the purpose of
persuading the state legislature to create the statue of Mr. Swigert
and put the initiative on the ballot. Mr. Swigert was a lifelong member
of VFW Post #1, which is the oldest VFW in the nation, founded after
the Spanish-American War.
Among the many individuals who worked on this honor, Mr. Hal
Schroyer, who lives north of Denver, should be mentioned for 10 years
of work on this project.
Mr. Swigert was an extraordinary individual, even before his flight
in the Apollo 13 spacecraft, made famous by the movie in 1996 that my
colleague mentioned.
Jack learned to fly at age 16, while attending Denver East High
School, and was on the move ever since. Jack served in the Air Force in
Korea, where he flew jet fighters. Even after his plane crashed into a
radar unit on a Korean airstrip, Jack continued to fly. After leaving
the service, he was a test pilot to 10 years. He kept busy, earning two
master's degrees as a followup to his 1953 mechanical engineering
degree.
[[Page S4213]]
What Jack is best remembered for though, is his fateful aborted trip
to the moon in 1970, as part of the Apollo 13 mission. Jack joined the
crew at the last minute, after his colleague, Thomas Mattingly, was
exposed to German Measles and could not make the trip. He had no idea
just how exciting this trip would become when he started. After an
oxygen tank exploded, the three-member crew used all their knowledge
and ingenuity to bring the disabled ship home safely. Because of their
quick thinking and grace under extreme pressure, all three members,
Jack Haise, James Lovell and Jack Swigert returned safely to Earth.
Following his service with NASA, Swigert put his extensive
aeronautical expertise to use as the executive director of the House
Committee on Science and Technology. He held the position until 1977,
when he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. He was defeated by his
friend William Armstrong in the primary and returned to private
industry as the vice president for two prominent Denver companies.
In 1982, Jack made a successful bid for a House seat, even after
learning that he had cancer. Jack's courageous battle was an effort to
prove that, to use his words, ``technology and commitment can overcome
any challenge.'' Unfortunately, Jack did not win his battle with bone
cancer, and, in December 1982, a month after winning the election, Jack
passed away.
Jack Swigert will be remembered and honored with this statue we
dedicate to him as a true American hero. And, his statue will represent
Colorado with honor and distinction here in the U.S. Capitol for years
to come. To my knowledge, this will be the first space age statue to be
included. With my colleague from Colorado, I urge my colleagues to
support passage of this important resolution.
I yield the floor.
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that H. Con. Res.
25 be agreed to; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table;
and that any statements relating to the resolution appear at the
appropriate place in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 25) was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
MR. KEMPTHORNE. I thank the Chair.
(The remarks of Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Craig and Mr. Torricelli,
pertaining to the introduction of S. 730 are located in today's Record
under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
Mr. ALLARD addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
____________________