[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8129-S8130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BAYH (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. 
        Voinovich, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Kennedy, 
        Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Kerrey, and Ms. Landrieu):
  S. 1332. A bill to authorize the President to award a gold medal on 
behalf of Congress to Father Theodore M. Hesburg, in recognition of his 
outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher 
education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community; 
to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.


    congressional gold medal in honor of reverend theodore hesburgh

 Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today with my good friend and 
colleague from Indiana, Senator Richard Lugar, to introduce legislation 
awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Reverend Theodore 
Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame.
  This bipartisan effort recognizes Father Hesburgh for his outstanding 
contributions to the civil rights movement and to improving higher 
education. His efforts have provided benefits not only to the people of 
the United States but to the global community as well.
  Over the years, Father Hesburgh has held 15 presidential appointments 
and remains a national leader in the fields of education, civil rights 
and development of the world's poorest nations. Most notable among 
Father Hesburgh's many previous awards is the Medal of Freedom, the 
nation's highest civilian honor, bestowed on him by President Johnson 
in 1964.
  Mr. President, Father Hesburgh has been a champion of the civil 
rights movement for more than forty years. He was a charter member of 
the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 1957, and served as Chairman of 
the commission from 1969-72. His relentless pursuit of justice, peace 
and equality continue to inspire people around the world.
  Despite Father Hesburgh's commitment and obligations to Notre Dame 
and the various commissions he served, he still managed to give a 
sufficient amount of time and attention to global problems. Father 
Hesburgh served four Popes in many capacities, including as the 
permanent Vatican City representative to the International Atomic 
Energy Agency in Vienna from 1956-1970. In 1971, he joined the board of 
Overseas Developing Council, a private organization supporting 
interests of the underdeveloped world, and chaired it until

[[Page S8130]]

1982. During this time, he led fund-raising efforts that averted mass 
starvation in Cambodia in the immediate aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.
  Notre Dame is perhaps most celebrated for its athletic prowess, but 
these on-the-field achievements should not overshadow Notre Dame's 
place as a world class institution of learning and scholarship. When 
Father Hesburgh stepped down as head of Notre Dame in 1987, he ended 
the longest tenure among active presidents of American institutions of 
higher learning. The accomplishments made during Father Hesburgh's 
tenure are perhaps best reflected in the significant gains made from 
the time he took over as the 15th president of Notre Dame in 1952, up 
until his departure. By the time Father Hesburgh left Notre Dame, 
enrollment had doubled, the number of faculty had tripled, and the 
number of degrees offered by the school had grown to over 2,500.
  Most strikingly, Father Hesburgh was responsible for making dramatic 
changes to the University's composition by admitting women to Notre 
Dame. He also established several of Notre Dame's prestigious 
institutions, both the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies 
and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.
  Today, even in retirement, Father Hesburgh continues to be a leading 
educator and humanitarian, inspiring generations of students and 
citizens, while generously sharing his wisdom in the struggle for the 
rights of man.
  That is why we rise today to introduce legislation in the Senate 
honoring this man with a Congressional Gold Medal for his outstanding 
contributions to the University of Notre Dame, our country and the 
global community.
 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to join Senator Bayh in 
introducing legislation to bestow a Congressional Gold Medal on 
Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the 
University of Notre Dame.
  In 1952, at the age of 35, Father Hesburgh became the fifteenth 
president of the University of Notre Dame. He served in that position 
for a remarkable 35 years. At the time of his retirement in 1987, he 
had the longest tenure among active American university presidents. 
Father Hesburgh's leadership and vision, together with the hard work of 
faculty, staff, alumni, and students, built Notre Dame into one of the 
premier universities in the United States.
  In you ask any Golden-domer, they will tell you that Father 
Hesburgh's contributions to the University of Notre Dame are as big as 
the 13-floor library that bears his name. Notre Dame grew exponentially 
in research funding and in endowment during Father Hesburgh's 
presidency. When he assumed the office in 1952, Notre Dame served fewer 
than 5,000 students. Today it is an internationally recognized 
university of nearly 10,000 students engaged in every imaginable 
academic discipline.
  More importantly, through his example and direction, Father Hesburgh 
inspired the university community to pursue not only academic 
excellence and international prominence, but also justice and spiritual 
meaning. Few universities have succeeded at creating an environment so 
committed to public service and so rich in its dialogue between the 
intellectual and the spiritual.
  As Father Hesburgh worked to build the University of Notre Dame into 
what it is today, he simultaneously answered the call to serve his 
nation and the world. His career has embodied the principle of public 
service that he espoused at Notre Dame.
  Father Hesburgh has held a remarkable 15 Presidential appointments 
over the years, covering such diverse topics as the peaceful uses of 
atomic energy and campus unrest. He was a charter member of the U.S. 
Commission on Civil Rights, created in 1957, and he chaired the 
commission from 1969-1972.
  All the while he remained a national leader in education, serving on 
many commissions and study groups. He chaired the International 
Federation of Catholic Universities from 1963 to 1970. In this position 
and through his writings, he was instrumental in redefining the 
importance of international studies in higher education and the nature 
and mission of a contemporary Catholic university. Father Hesburgh also 
served four Popes as a Vatican representative to the International 
Atomic Energy Agency and other international assemblies.
  The problems of underdeveloped nations have been a special interest 
of Father Hesburgh. He joined the board of the Overseas Development 
Council in 1971. His fund-raising work as Chairman helped avert mass 
starvation in Cambodia in 1979 and 1980. He also chaired the Select 
Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy between 1979 and 1981. The 
recommendations of the Commission became the basis of legislation five 
years later.
  Father Hesburgh's lengthy list of awards include the Medal of 
Freedom, bestowed by President Johnson in 1964. He is also the 
recipient of 135 honorary degrees, the most ever awarded to an 
American.
  In retirement, Father Hesburgh has become a best-selling author. He 
still plays a major role in the development of higher education through 
the institutes he was instrumental in founding at Notre Dame, including 
the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Kellogg 
Institute for International Studies. Father Hesburgh chairs the 
advisory committee for both institutes.
  Despite his innumerable accomplishments, Father Hesburgh has always 
remained grounded in the campus life of Notre Dame University. He 
continues to frequently lecture and preside at mass. He talks with 
everyone who approaches him and still loves having lunch with students 
daily to discuss their views on the courses and programs he has been so 
instrumental in advancing.
  Mr. President, Father Hesburgh's life stands as an example of the 
type of service, dedication, and faith that the Congressional Gold 
Medal was meant to commemorate. I encourage my colleagues to join 
Senator Bayh and myself in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______