[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNITION OF BRUNO NOWICKI

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
good friend of mine and a great leader in my home state of Michigan, 
Bruno Nowicki. On October 11, 1998, Bruno's friends and family will 
help him celebrate his 90th birthday at a celebration at the Polish 
Century Club.
  Bruno Nowicki is well known in Michigan and in his native Poland for 
his efforts to commemorate and celebrate the contributions of Polish 
people to the United States and to the world. He has designed monuments 
to Polish-American heroes of World War II and Vietnam and to 
Revolutionary War Generals Pulaski and Kosciuszko. Bruno Nowicki has 
also been a strong supporter of public libraries, and served on the 
Board of Governors of the Detroit Public Library from 1971 until 1994. 
He melded his interests in promoting Polish culture and supporting 
public libraries by arranging for statues, mosaics and busts of 
prominent figures in Poland's history to be displayed in the Detroit 
Main Library and the Hamtramck Public Library. Bruno worked with artist 
Zygmunt Dousa of the University of Krakow to design the Polish Room of 
the Ethnic Conference and Study Center at the Wayne State University in 
Detroit. He is a co-founder of the Polish Riverfront Festival, which 
provides assistance to children's hospitals in Poland.
  I was proud to work with Bruno Nowicki in 1993-1994 on an issue 
especially close to his heart, promoting chess to students in schools. 
An avid chess player who participates in (and has won) tournaments in 
the U.S., Bermuda and Cuba, he believes that the skills children 
develop by learning to play chess can be applied to everyday life. A 
four-year study of school chess players confirmed Bruno Nowicki's 
belief. The study found that chess helps children build self-confidence 
and self-worth, dramatically improves children's ability to think 
rationally, and results in higher grades, especially in English and 
Math. Bruno provided me with important information which I used in 
drafting an amendment to the 1994 Goals 2000: Educate America Act, 
which allows State educational agencies to use certain Title III funds 
to promote instruction in chess as a tool for teachers to use to 
motivate students to develop critical thinking skills, self-discipline 
and creative resolution methods.
  Mr. President, Bruno Nowicki has demonstrated time and again his 
commitment to his community. He is truly a person who has touched the 
lives of thousands of people. I know my colleagues join me in wishing 
Bruno a happy 90th birthday and in commending him for his remarkable 
dedication to community service.

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