[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E40-E41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DOMINIQUE DE MENIL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 28, 1998

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of an 
extraordinary woman, Dominique de Menil of Houston, a world renowned 
patron of the arts, philanthropist, and passionate advocate for human 
rights, who passed away December 31, 1997, at the age of 89. Her death 
is a tremendous loss not only for her family, but for the city of 
Houston and

[[Page E41]]

the nation. Along with her late husband John de Menil, who died in 
1973, Dominique de Menil left indelible marks on the world of art and 
the cause of civil rights.
  Dominique de Menil was born in Paris on March 23, 1908. Heiress to 
the Schlumberger Ltd. oil field service company fortune, she made 
Houston her home for more that 50 years and became its leading arts 
patron and benefactor. Mrs. de Menil received her bachelor of arts 
degree from the Sorbonne in 1927. At twenty-three she married Jean de 
Menil, a young baron from a French military family. In the early 1940s, 
they came to America with the expansion of Schlumberger and settled in 
Houston. They became American citizens in 1962.
  In 1954, declaring that ``art embodies the highest aspirations of 
humankind,'' the de Menils established the Menil Foundation to foster 
knowledge and understanding in the fields of art, architecture and 
philosophy. Its primary focus has been the visual arts. In addition, 
Mr. and Mrs. de Menil were among the founders of Houston's Contemporary 
Arts Museum and responsible for nurturing it during its infancy.
  Mrs. de Menil and her late husband were internationally known for 
establishing Houston's Rothko Chapel in 1971. Mrs. de Menil called the 
Rothko Chapel, which houses an ensemble of large paintings by the 
abstract artist Mark Rothko that were commissioned for the chapel, a 
place ``dedicated to meditation and peace.'' The chapel is ecumenical, 
open to all religions, belonging to none. Outside the chapel is a 
reflection pool with Broken Obelisk, a Barnett Newman sculpture 
dedicated to the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose civil-rights work 
was close to the heart of Mrs. de Menil. She hosted many distinguished 
visitors for special programs, including Bishop Desmond Tutu of South 
Africa. Tibet's Dalai Llama, and South African President Nelson 
Mandela.
  A sense of the suffering and indignities heaped on humankind was of 
great concern to Mrs. de Menil. She founded the Rothko Chapel Awards, 
$10,000 prizes presented annually to five recipients, often little-
known individuals, who battled for human rights. She also joined with 
former President Carter to establish the Carter-Menil Human Rights 
Prize of $100,000, awarded every other year in Houston or Atlanta. Mrs. 
de Menil also worked closely with the late Congressman Mickey Leland to 
further civil and human rights around the world.
  After John de Menil died, Dominique de Menil continued the couple's 
projects, and she masterminded a large, many-pronged program in the art 
and human rights. In 1987, the Menil Collection museum in Houston 
opened to the public. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, it houses one 
of the greatest privately assembled collections in the world, numbering 
more than 15,000 works of art. Museums in New York and Paris wooed Mrs. 
de Menil in hopes of acquiring the collection. But Mrs. de Menil was 
determined to keep the collection in her adopted home of Houston.
  In 1995, she presided over the opening of another building, also 
designed by Renzo Piano. The Cy Twombly Gallery houses a collection of 
sculptures and paintings by the prominent American artist. In 1997, she 
presided over opening the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, designed by her son 
Francois de Menil, containing two 13th-century Byzantine frescos from 
Cyprus.
  Mrs. de Menil also played a pivotal role at the Museum of Fine Arts 
in Houston. She gave generously to foster the arts at Rice University 
and the University of St. Thomas. She and her husband brought a young 
architect named Philip Johnson to Houston to design the modern campus 
at the University of St. Thomas. Mr. Johnson, of course, went on to 
establish himself as one of the nation's premier modern architects. In 
1969, she and her husband established the Institute for the Arts at 
Rice. She had a great appreciation for the place of art in a strong 
community and worked to ensure that Houstonians from all walks of life 
could enjoy our city's many artistic and cultural treasures.
  Whatever she did, Mrs. de Menil's intelligence, enthusiasm, and 
integrity served her and all those she encountered well. She brought a 
tireless energy, an unflagging drive and a passionate caring to each of 
her causes. Mrs. de Menil will be remembered for these qualities and 
her dedication to making the world a better place.
  Mr. Speaker, Dominique de Menil was one of a kind. She was a person 
of strong opinions who cared greatly for justice and the welfare of 
others. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten by Houstonians, 
the many people throughout the world with whom she worked, and 
countless others who care about art and human rights. We are all 
infinitely richer for her legacy and were blessed with her wisdom, 
compassion, and dignity. As she intended, the artistic and humanitarian 
causes she championed will remain as her legacy.

                          ____________________