[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 15, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1253]]
            A HALLMARK OF A GREAT PERSON IN THEIR GENEROSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 1999

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, today we honor a truly great 
Alaskan: Mrs. Maxine Whitney. Mrs. Whitney is a long time Fairbanks, 
Alaska resident who, with her husband, Jesse, and their construction 
companies, helped develop and build the infrastructure of modern day 
Alaska. While pursuing a very active business life, Mrs. Whitney 
collected what was reportedly the world's largest private collection of 
Native Alaskan art and artifacts. As with many, her avocation became a 
vocation and she purchased a small private museum. Mrs. Whitney 
successfully ran the Eskimo Museum in Fairbanks for almost 20 years, 
from 1969 until the late 1980's. Throughout her 50 plus years in 
Alaska, Mrs. Whitney traveled extensively in rural Alaska gaining a 
deep understanding and appreciation of Native peoples and cultures. Her 
museum and collection shows intimate knowledge of Native Alaskan 
prehistory, history, and the importance of the Native contribution to 
Alaskan society.
  Mrs. Whitney has provided a legacy for all Alaskans and for all 
Americans. Maxine Whitney recently donated this world-renowned 
collection to Prince William Sound Community College in Valdez, Alaska, 
part of the University of Alaska system. The collection is known as the 
Jesse & Maxine Whitney Collection and is the nucleus of the Prince 
William Sound Community College--Alaska Cultural Center. This multi-
million dollar donation will provide opportunities for people to learn 
about past and present Native Alaskan cultures and the natural history 
of Alaska. In donating the Whitney Collection, Mrs. Whitney has 
provided an educational gem for all who visit and view the collection.
  This gift should be celebrated and Mrs. Whitney commended for her 
extreme generosity to the State of Alaska and the USA. Her legacy will 
enhance the knowledge and appreciation of Native cultures across the 
country. It is people like Maxine Whitney, patrons of the arts and 
education, philanthropists, who enrich our lives with their precious 
gifts. Mrs. Whitney, thank you.

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