[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING TIMOTHY CORDES

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I would like to bring to the 
attention of Members of Congress and the country a young constituent of 
mine.
  Some of you may have read about Timothy Cordes in Monday's Washington 
Post. For those of you who didn't, Tim--who is from Eldridge, Iowa--
just received a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Notre Dame, with 
a 3.99 grade point average. Tim was the valedictorian of his class and 
will begin medical school at the University of Wisconsin this summer. 
These would be outstanding accomplishments for any young person. They 
are especially remarkable in this case, because Tim is blind--only the 
second blind person ever admitted to a U.S. medical school.
  Tim has a genetic condition that gradually diminished his vision 
until he was blind when he was 14. Doctors diagnosed him with the 
disease when he was two. They talked about how blindness would limit 
Tim's life. But his parents wouldn't accept that for their son. His 
mother said that after talking with the doctors, ``I went home and just 
ignored everything they said.'' Thank goodness for that!
  I have spent much of my time in the Senate working toward a society 
in which all Americans, those with disabilities and those without, have 
the same opportunities to succeed.That's what all people with 
disabilities want--an equal opportunity to succeed. Some will succeed 
and some won't, but it will be because of their abilities, not their 
disabilities. Tim personifies the fact that when society accommodates 
people with disabilities to allow them to reach their full potential, 
we all benefit.
  At Notre Dame, Tim overcame his blindness by asking fellow students 
to describe the molecular structures they were studying and by using 
his computer to re-create the images in three-dimensional forms on a 
special monitor he could touch. In addition to his academic 
achievements, Tim earned a black belt in tae kwon do and jujitsu, went 
to football games and debated with this friends whether the old or new 
``Star Trek'' is better.
  Tim's biochemistry professor called him a remarkable young man and 
the most brilliant student he's ever had. One of Tim's roommates said 
that he was ``simply amazing to be around.''
  Tim doesn't mind being an inspiration to others, but he doesn't think 
of himself that way. In his words, ``[i]t was just hard work.'' Well, 
that's for sure!
  For my part, I am honored to represent Tim and his parents and to be 
able to take this time to congratulate him and his parents for all 
their great work. Congratulations!
  Mr. President, I ask that the full text of the Washington Post 
article be printed in the Record.
  The article follows:

                [From the Washington Post, May 18, 1998]

Blind Valedictorian Is Headed to Med School; Notre Dame Student Credits 
                   ``Just Hard Work'' for His Success

                             (By Jon Jeter)

       South Bend, IN.--Sure but sightless, Timothy Cordes arrived 
     on the University of Notre Dame' campus four years ago, an 
     18-year-old freshman from Eldridge, Iowa, who wanted to 
     enroll in the biochemistry program. Faculty members tried, 
     politely, to dissuade him. Just how, they wondered aloud, 
     could a blind student keep up with the rigorous courses and 
     demanding laboratory work of biochemistry?
       Cordes graduated today from Notre Dame with a degree in 
     biochemistry and a 3.991 grade-point average. He was the last 
     of Notre Dame's 2,000 seniors to enter the crowded auditorium 
     for commencement. His German shepherd, Electra, led him to 
     the lectern to deliver the valedictory speech as his 
     classmates rose, cheered, applauded and yelled his name 
     affectionately.
       Cordes starts medical school in two months, only the second 
     blind person ever admitted to a U.S. medical school. He does 
     not plan to practice medicine. His interest is in research, 
     he said: ``I've just always loved science.''
       His life has been both an act of open, mannerly defiance 
     and unshakable faith. And this unassuming, slightly built 
     young man with a choirboy's face awes acquaintances and 
     friends.
       Armed with Electra, a high-powered personal computer and a 
     quick wit, Cordes managed a near-perfect academic record, an 
     A-minus in a Spanish class the only blemish. Two weeks ago, 
     he earned a black belt in the martial arts tae kwon do and 
     jujitsu.
       ``He is really a remarkable young man,'' said Paul 
     Helquist, a Notre Dame biochemistry professor. Helquist at 
     first had doubts but ultimately recommended Cordes for 
     medical school. ``He is by far the most brilliant student 
     I've ever come across in my 24 years of teaching,'' the 
     professor said.
       If others find some noble lessons in this life, Cordes 
     perceives it more prosaically: He's merely shown up for life 
     and done what was necessary to reach his goals.
       ``If people are inspired by what I've done, that's great, 
     but the truth is that I did it all for me. It was just hard 
     work. It's like getting the black belt. It's not like I just 
     took one long lesson. It was showing up every day, and 
     sweating and learning and practicing. You have your bad days 
     and you just keep going.''
       Despite his academic accomplishments, Cordes led a fairly 
     ordinary life in college, debating, for example, the merits 
     of the old and new ``Star Trek'' series with Patrick 
     Murowsky, a 22-year-old psychology major from Cleveland who 
     roomed with Cordes their sophomore year.
       ``The thing about Tim is that he's fearless and he just 
     seems to have this faith. Once we were late for a football 
     game and we had to run to the stadium. He had no qualms about 
     running at top speed while I yelled `jump,' or I would yell 
     `duck' and he would duck. And we made it. He is simply 
     amazing to be around sometimes,'' said Murowsky.
       Cordes has Leber's disease, a genetic condition that 
     gradually diminished his vision until he was blind at age 14.
       When doctors at the University of Iowa first diagnosed the 
     disease when he was 2, ``it was the saddest moment of my 
     life,'' said his mother, Therese, 50.
       ``The doctors . . . told us: `He won't be able to do this, 
     and don't expect him to be able to do this,' '' Therese 
     Hordes recalled. ``So I went home and just ignored everything 
     they said.''
       The ability to conceptualize images has greatly helped 
     Hordes in his studies, Helquist said. The study of 
     biochemistry relies heavily on graphics and diagrams to 
     illustrate complicated molecular structures. Hordes 
     compensated for his inability to see by asking other students 
     to describe the visual sides or by using his computer to re-
     create the images in three-dimensional forms on a special 
     screen he could touch.
       Cordes applied to eight medical schools. Only the 
     University of Wisconsin accepted him. (The first blind 
     medical student was David Hartman, who graduated from Temple 
     University in 1976 and is a psychiatrist in Roanoke, Va.)
       ``Tim has always exceeded people's expectations of him,'' 
     said Teresa Cordes, who, with her husband, Tom, watched Tim 
     graduate. ``He really does inspire me.''

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