[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PAUL TSONGAS

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                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 29, 1997

  Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to a friend, colleague, and great American. Paul Efthemios 
Tsongas, a former member of this body, the U.S. Senate, and a 
Presidential candidate. But Paul Tsongas was more than a man with fancy 
job titles. He was a great father and a caring husband. He was an 
energetic activist as well as a local and national leader.
  Born on February 14, 1941, Paul Tsongas was the son of Greek 
immigrants. He grew up in the city of Lowell, a historic textile 
manufacturing center where his father ran a dry cleaning business. He 
held a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Yale. He spent 
3 years working with the Peace Corps, which he often said literally 
changed his life. For many years he held numerous positions in local 
and State government, and then in 1974 was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives. He served with great distinction for two terms 
whereupon he ran and was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  I will always remember Senator Tsongas' wry sense of humor. He was 
fond of telling the story of how, when he was first running for his 
Senate seat, he was misidentified in a news report as ``an obscure 
first term Congressman.'' He corrected the story by simply saying that 
he was ``an obscure second term Congressman.''
  More than a decade ago, Senator Tsongas was advocating for a well-
educated population in order to boost our Nation's economy. He said 
``education is the fuel driving our most important growth sector, the 
high tech industry. High technology is an industry that runs on brain 
power. In computer science, bioengineering, fiber optics, robotics, or 
any other high tech field, the basic input is the skill of the 
engineers, scientists, and technicians working there.''
  To honor his memory, his vision, and his commitment to economic 
growth and opportunity, I have introduced legislation creating a 
graduate fellowship in his name (H.R. 2749).
  The Tsongas Fellowships' principal goal is to encourage individuals 
with exceptionable achievement and promise, especially members of 
traditionally underrepresented groups, to pursue careers in science and 
engineering fields that confront the global energy and environmental 
challenges of the 21st century.
  During the past century, as much as 50 percent of our national 
economic growth has been created by technological innovation in high 
tech and other brain-powered industries. In this past century we have 
literally gone from horse and buggies to space flight. Today, we can 
imagine finding a vaccine for AIDS, or real-time two way tele-video. 
Even 10 years ago, these discoveries seemed unthinkable. With a 
continued commitment to education and research, today's mysteries will 
become tomorrow's realities.
  Engineers have brought a large part of these innovations into our 
lives. And our need for solutions to today's problems--from toxic waste 
to new energy sources--is just as great as it was 100 years ago.
  I can think of few better ways to honor the man who committed his 
career to an honest and open dialog about the issues facing our country 
today. By providing a fellowship in his name we will be bringing his 
philosophy to bear--that ``investment is the future.''

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