[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H9847-H9853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FATHER THEODORE M. HESBURGH CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1932) to authorize the President to award a gold medal on
behalf of the Congress to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, in recognition
of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil rights, higher
education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1932
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Father Theodore M. Hesburgh
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., has made
outstanding and enduring contributions to American society
through his activities in civil rights, higher education, the
Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global community;
(2) Father Hesburgh was a charter member of the United
States Commission on Civil Rights from its creation in 1957
and served as chairperson of the Commission from 1969 to
1972;
(3) Father Hesburgh was president of the University of
Notre Dame from 1952 until 1987, and has been president
emeritus since 1987;
(4) Father Hesburgh is a national and international leader
in higher education;
(5) Father Hesburgh has been honored with the Elizabeth Ann
Seton Award from the National Catholic Education Association
and with more than 130 honorary degrees;
(6) Father Hesburgh served as co-chairperson of the
nationally influential Knight Commission on Intercollegiate
Athletics and as chairperson, from 1994 to 1996, of the Board
of Overseers of Harvard University;
(7) Father Hesburgh served under President Ford as a member
of the Presidential Clemency Board, charged with deciding the
fates of persons committing offenses during the Vietnam
conflict;
(8) Father Hesburgh served as chairman of the board of the
Overseas Development Council and in that capacity led
fundraising efforts that averted mass starvation in Cambodia
in 1979 and 1980;
(9) Father Hesburgh served from 1979 to 1981 as chairperson
of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy,
which made recommendations that served as the basis of
congressional reform legislation enacted 5 years later;
(10) Father Hesburgh served as ambassador to the 1979
United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for
Development; and
(11) Father Hesburgh has served the Catholic Church in a
variety of capacities, including his service from 1956 to
1970 as the permanent Vatican representative to the
International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and his service
as a member of the Holy See's delegation to the United
Nations.
[[Page H9848]]
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized
to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of
appropriate design to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in
recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to
civil rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, the
Nation, and the global community.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a
gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions,
to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such
regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor,
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and
the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals
for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be charged against the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund
an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the
medal authorized by this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sales of
duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in
the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BACHUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, we are not only here to honor a great
American, a great university president, but in doing that, this
Congress is also saluting and paying tribute to the Catholic higher
education in America and its significant contribution.
Catholic universities and colleges constitute an extraordinary
variety of institutions. The high quality of the education they provide
is well known to most Americans, and the contribution they make to the
life of this Nation and the world is tremendously positive. So we not
only salute a great American, but the gentleman from Indiana, the chief
sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from California and I and the
entire Committee on Banking and Financial Services in doing so wish to
salute Catholic higher education in America.
Mr. Speaker, I will be talking about some of those great institutions
as we consider this coin.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of bestowing the Congressional Gold
Medal of Honor to a very worthy and outstanding American. Father
Hesburgh was educated at Notre Dame and the Georgian University in
Rome, for which he received a bachelor of philosophy degree in 1939. He
was ordained a priest by the congregation of the Holy Cross in Sacred
Heart Basilica on the Notre Dame campus June 24, 1943 by Bishop John F.
Knoll of Fort Wayne.
Following his ordination, Father Hesburgh continued his study of
sacred theology at the Catholic University of America, Washington,
D.C., receiving his doctorate in 1945. In 1952 he was named the 15th
president of Notre Dame, where he served until retiring in 1987, ending
the longest tenure among active presidents of American institutions of
higher learning.
Father Hesburgh has held 15 presidential appointments over the years,
most recently to the U.S. Institute for Peace, and they involved him in
virtually all of the major social issues: civil rights, peaceful issues
of atomic energy, campus unrest, and Third World development, to name
only a few.
His stature as an elder statesman in American higher education is
reflected in his 133 honorary degrees, the most ever awarded to any
American. Highlighting a lengthy list of awards to Father Hesburgh is
the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, bestowed on
him by president Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
Notre Dame's president emeritus has served four Popes, three as
permanent Vatican city representative to the International Atomic
Energy Agency in Vienna from 1956 to 1970.
Justice has been the focus of many of his outside involvements. He
was a charter member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, created in
1957, and he chaired the Commission from 1969 to 1972, when President
Nixon replaced him as chairman for his criticism of the
administration's civil rights record.
Among his more recent and visible off-campus activities has been as
co-chairman of the nationally-influential Knight Commission on
Intercollegiate Athletics, and his involvement with the Center for
Civil and Human Rights.
{time} 1645
There are 292 cosponsors of this legislation, and, of course, it is
led by my colleague and friend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer),
who has done a magnificent job in helping to organize and focus us on
the fact that this human being has contributed so much we need to give
him special recognition.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Leach), the chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial
Services.
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished friend, the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) for yielding me this time, and also
thank him for his leadership and that of the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Waters) and, of course, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Roemer), for bringing this bill before us.
The United States Congress rarely authorizes gold medals. In this
case, it is choosing to do so for a man who symbolizes the most
profound of American values, a faith-based commitment to civil rights,
to quality education, to peace and the processes needed to produce a
more civil world. Father Hesburgh is a man of and for all seasons. His
life is worthy of admiration and, more importantly, replication. Heroes
are many kinds, but if there is such a thing as a hero of faith, it is
Father Hesburgh. He has ennobled his church, his university, his
country. With this Congressional Gold Medal, we honor his life and his
contribution to our times. By so doing, we also pay homage to the role
of Catholic education and church leadership in America.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, there are approximately 230 Catholic institutions of
higher education in our country. There are 600,000 students enrolled in
those institutions; and, as I said, there is extraordinary variety in
these institutions. They literally are spread across the map of the
United States. If one goes to Maine, one will find Saint Joseph's
College. If one goes to Honolulu, one will find Chaminade University;
if one goes to Florida, one will find Barry University; St. Thomas in
Miami. If one goes to Washington State, one will find Gonzaga in
Spokane; Seattle University in Seattle, a tremendous number of these
institutions making a tremendous contribution.
One of the premier institutions is Notre Dame and it is the president
of that institution that we honor today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield such time as he may consume
to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the chief sponsor of the
bill.
(Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, first of all, we would not be here without
the strong bipartisan support of the Committee on Banking and Financial
Services that has jurisdiction over this issue. I want to thank the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for her dedication and her
commitment to bringing this bill honoring Father Hesburgh as a Holy
Cross priest and the University of Notre Dame to the floor today.
I want to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus)
for his strong support and his commitment to Catholic education. I want
to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), who just
had those eloquent words to say. I want to thank the gentleman from New
York
[[Page H9849]]
(Mr. LaFalce), our ranking member. I also want to thank the Members who
helped me get this resolution started. The gentleman from New York (Mr.
King) was very helpful, a Republican; the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis), a Democrat; the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), a
Democrat; the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), a Republican, those
were the people that started talking about many of these issues, and
with my good friend who served with Father Hesburgh on the Civil Rights
Commission, the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn), who took the case
to the United States Congress to honor with distinction, with
dedication, with integrity this great man and we now have 292
cosponsors on this bill.
It is interesting, and I say to my colleagues, about the history of
the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, that we have awarded it
initially and primarily to military leaders for their bravery. We
honored notables in science and math, explorers and space pioneers
going up into the heavens. We have honored athletes and we have honored
authors and poets and we have honored humanitarians and public
servants. People such as George Washington, adorned right here on this
wall; John Paul Jones and Charles Lindbergh; Thomas Edison and Jonas
Salk garnered this high honor.
What is so unusual about Father Hesburgh, what is so unique about
what he brings to this award is not just his devotion and passion for
people and for equality and civil rights, it is not just his dedication
to public service or his strong feelings about the importance of higher
education and ethics and integrity and teaching those things at a
Catholic University, but it is the three things that he has done with
his life that we honor here today.
It is public service. It is devotion to higher education. It is
passionate commitment to religion as a Holy Cross priest.
Now, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) and the gentleman
from Iowa (Mr. Leach) and others have talked about these three areas.
Let me just spend a bit more time on each of them.
First of all, his dedication to public service. He has held 15
different presidential appointments, and I think among them, the most
proud times that I have spent with him at lunch and dinner he has
talked so passionately about his charter membership on the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights and how he fought so diligently in the
1960s, with the Kennedy and the Johnson administration, for the passage
of the historic 1964 Civil Rights Act. That is something that Father
Hesburgh continues to fight hard for and feels passionately about those
civil rights for each and every American.
He also joined, in 1971, the Board of the Overseas Development
Council; and he led fund-raising efforts on that council in 1979 and
1980 that averted mass starvation in Cambodia. He saved thousands of
lives with his commitment to try and prevent starvation and trying to
encourage more access to food and relief around the world, especially
for Third World nations. He also has been strongly committed to higher
education, where he served for 35 years as the President of the
University of Notre Dame.
When he came to Notre Dame, I think some had said it was a very good
school, with a great football team. Well, today it is an
internationally recognized research and teaching institution that
attracts the best students and the best faculty and also, by the way,
still has a great football team. He continues to emphasize the
important things such as moral and intellectual dimensions and faith-
based learning at the University of Notre Dame.
He also encourages the students at the University of Notre Dame
through the center for social concerns to volunteer in the local
community and around the United States, and globally in the world to
help fight through volunteerism to make a difference with their lives,
not only at Notre Dame but after they leave that institution.
By the way, 80 percent of Notre Dame graduates have volunteered in
some capacity before they graduate from the University of Notre Dame.
Finally, the third area that Father Hesburgh has devoted so much of
his life to, as a Catholic priest, as a CSC priest and his religious
beliefs, he has taught the value of volunteering. He has stressed the
issues of social justice, not just in South Bend, Indiana, not just in
the United States but in Cambodia, in Africa, in the Middle East, where
he continues to be very involved in trying to gain peace and tolerance
there.
Father Hesburgh, through fighting for social justice, has always been
amplifying the voice of the homeless, has always been advocating the
concern of the poor and has always been trying to put a voice out there
for those that are voiceless and poor and not able to lobby the
government of the United States.
So I have deep admiration for Father Hesburgh, and it is with great
joy that this bill, H.R. 1932, comes to the House Floor and that we
recognize Father Hesburgh's achievements over the many years.
In conclusion, Father Hesburgh probably was a man for all seasons, a
man of many causes, a man of deep devotion to the Catholic church, a
man of dedication to higher education, a man of overwhelming commitment
to public service and to justice for all.
I thank this body for bringing this bill to the House Floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1932, to award the
Congressional Gold Medal to Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Since I
introduced this legislation with Representatives Peter King, John
Lewis, Pete Visclosky, Mark Souder, Anne Northup and 85 original
cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, it has enjoyed strong
bipartisan support. Currently, my legislation is cosponsored by 292 of
my colleagues.
This bipartisan legislation recognizes Father Hesburgh for his many
outstanding contributions to the United States and the global
community. The bill authorizes the President to award a gold medal to
Father Hesburgh on behalf of the United States Congress, and it also
authorizes the U.S. Mint to strike and sell duplicates to the public.
The public service career of Father Hesburgh, president emeritus of
the University of Notre Dame, is as distinguished as his many
educational contributions. Over the years, he has held 15 Presidential
appointments and he has remained a national leader in the fields of
education, civil rights and the development of the Third World.
Highlighting a lengthy list of awards to Father Hesburgh is the Medal
of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian honor, bestowed on him by
President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964.
Mr. Speaker, justice has been the primary focus of Father Hesburgh's
pursuits throughout his life. He was a charter member of the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights, created by Congress in 1957 as a compromise
to end a filibuster in the U.S. Senate to prevent passage of any and
all legislation concerning civil rights in general and voting rights in
particular. Father Hesburgh chaired the commission from 1969 to 1972,
until President Nixon replaced him as chairman because of his criticism
of the Administration's civil rights record. Additionally, Father
Hesburgh was a member of President Ford's Presidential Clemency Board,
charged with deciding the fate of various groups of Vietnam offenders.
In 1971, he joined the board of the Overseas Development Council, a
private organization supporting interests of the underdeveloped world,
and chaired it until 1982. During this time, he led fund-raising
efforts that averted mass starvation in Cambodia in 1979-80. Between
1979-81 he also chaired the Select Commission on Immigration and
Refugee Policy, the recommendations of which became the basis of
Congressional reform legislation five years later. In 1979, Father
Hesburgh was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations Conference on
Science and Technology for Development--the first time a priest has
served in a formal diplomatic role for the U.S. government.
He was involved during the 1980s in a private initiative which sought
to unite internationally known scientists and world religious leaders
in condemning nuclear weapons. He helped organize an 1982 meeting in
Vatican City of 58 world class scientists, from East as well as West,
who called for the elimination of nuclear weapons and subsequently
brought together in Vienna leaders of six faith traditions who endorsed
the view of these scientists.
Father Hesburg stepped down as head of the University of Notre Dame
in 1987, ending the longest tenure among active presidents of American
institutions of higher learning. He continues in retirement as much as
he did as the Nation's senior university chief executive officer--as a
leading educator and humanitarian inspiring generations of students and
citizens, and generously sharing his wisdom in the struggle for the
rights of man.
During the period of unrest on American campuses, a time when
educational leaders
[[Page H9850]]
were at a loss to understand or deal with the inexplicable reactions of
students, people like Father Hesburg stepped forward to explain the
ethical purpose and goals of the campus: ``Education is essentially a
work of the spirit--the formation of intelligence, the unending search
for knowledge. Why then be concerned with values? Because wisdom is
more than knowledge; man is more than his mind, and without values man
may be intelligent but less than fully human.''
As a member of the U.S. Institute of Peace Board is presently working
to find solutions for Middle East tensions as well as those in Eastern
Europe. He recently participated in a fact-finding trip to Kosovo with
the U.S. Association for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, to
view first-hand conditions facing refugees in the aftermath of last
spring's NATO bombing campaign and subsequent UN-peacekeeping efforts.
He met with senior members of the UNHCR missions and conducted
briefings with NATO, Red Cross and other officials in Pristina. They
also traveled in the countryside near Pristina to assess the rebuilding
process. He recently collected his 140th and 141st honorary degrees
this year, the most every bestowed upon one person, according to the
Guinness Book of World Records. The latest came from the State
University of New York and Connecticut College.
I am personally grateful to Father Hesburg for his friendship and
guidance during my years as a student at the University of Notre Dame.
My family shares my gratitude. My grandfather, William Roemer, was a
professor of philosophy during the early years of Father Hesburg's
presidency, and my parents, Jim and Mary Ann Roemer, also worked during
his tenure at the University.
Mr. Speaker, I once asked Father Hesburg for advice about how to
raise a happy healthy family with children. His reply was helpful,
insightful and advice I continue to follow today: ``Love their
mother.'' I strongly believe Father Hesburg's response here was just
one of many shining examples illustrating that his contributions to
family values in American society are as numerous and meaningful as his
devoted contributions to human rights, education, the Catholic Church
and the global community.
Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded to
individuals as diverse as George Washington, Bob Hope, Joe Louis, the
Wright Brothers, Robert Frost, and Mother Teresa. These people, along
with 250 individuals and the American Red Cross, share the common bond
of outstanding and enduring contributions to benefit mankind. Through
the award, Congress has expressed gratitude for distinguishing
contributions, dramatized the virtues of patriotism, and perpetuated
the remembrance of great events. This tradition, or authorizing
individually struck gold medals bearing the patriots of those so
honored or images of events in which they participated, is rich with
history.
I believe that this is the most appropriate time for Congress and the
entire Nation to join me in recognizing this remarkable man and living
legend of freedom in America. I strongly encourage my colleagues to
support this bipartisan legislation and urge the House of
Representatives to pass this important measure. I would like to thank
my colleagues who have given their support and worked so hard to move
this legislation forward. Additionally, I thank the leadership of the
House and the Committee on Banking for their support and efforts to
expedite consideration of this bill.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, there are 24 Catholic colleges and
universities in the State of New York and among them is Saint Francis
College in Brooklyn. One of the original cosponsors of this bill is a
graduate not only of Saint Francis but also of Notre Dame.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. King).
Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want
to commend him for the outstanding work he has done in bringing this
resolution to the floor.
I also have to pay tremendous gratitude and express a great debt to
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for the absolutely tireless job
he has done in procuring the signatures, of working hard, of making the
case of just being relentless in making sure that this resolution went
forward and he certainly has every reason to be proud of himself for
the great job he has done.
Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to stand up and speak
on behalf of this resolution honoring Father Hesburgh. Father Hesburgh
is an outstanding educator, an outstanding religious leader, and an
outstanding American. As the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) and
others have mentioned, he has done a truly magnificent job during the
35 years that he was president of the University of Notre Dame. I had
the privilege of being a law student during the time that he was the
President of the university and had firsthand knowledge of the
tremendous impact he had on the campus, on all the schools, all its
efforts but most importantly of imparting to the students of Notre Dame
the obligation of the sense that they had to make a difference, that
they had to put into practice what they learned, that religion was not
just something that one spoke about in church but something that one
lived every day of their life in every endeavor in which one was
engaged.
Father Hesburgh did that. He did that by his commitment to civil
rights, by his commitment to justice, by his commitment to peace, and
by his dedication to his country which is why he is such an outstanding
American serving President after President on so many issues, always
making himself available to make this a better country and to make this
a better world.
Certainly, as a religious leader, he realized the importance of using
religion to bring people together, not to divide them, of exemplifying
the very best of Christianity, of Catholicism, indeed of all religions,
in showing the one God that binds us all, that brings us all together.
That was Father Hesburgh, a man who even to this day is a renowned
leader.
I was at the Notre Dame campus this weekend and even to this day his
presence is still there, not just in the bricks and mortar of the
enormous library that is named after him, not just the various programs
that are named after him but as the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer)
said, in the spirit of volunteerism that the students at Notre Dame
have accepted and have taken from the Hesburgh tradition; the
acknowledgment, the realization that they have the obligation to go out
and work among their fellow men and women, those who are not as
fortunate as they are, to use the abilities and talents that were
brought to fruition in Notre Dame on behalf of those less fortunate
than themselves.
{time} 1700
So to present the Congressional Gold Medal to Father Hesburgh, it is
a great moment for Congress, it is a great moment for Notre Dame, it is
a great moment for Father Hesburgh, it is a great moment for all of us
who have had the opportunity to know him, to work with him, to meet
with him, and to realize that he is getting this recognition which he
so much deserves. I urge the adoption of the resolution.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we have several other speakers that wish to be heard. I
also want to commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer).
As I read this statement, I attribute this to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Roemer) and his hard work, and that statement is that H.R.
1932 complies with all rules of the Committee on Banking for coin and
medal bills and exceeds the requirement that two-thirds of the Members
of the House sponsor the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Horn), former president of Long Beach State University, who worked with
Father Hesburgh.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for the
time.
I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for his legislation
to award a Congressional Gold Medal to a very distinguished citizen.
Father Theodore ``Ted'' Hesburgh is one of the great citizens of
America and the World.
He has served at the call of Presidents of both parties.
He was an original member of the United States Commission on Civil
Rights, appointed by President Eisenhower in 1957. He served on that
nonpartisan commission through the presidency of John F. Kennedy and
Lyndon Baines Johnson and the first term of the presidency of President
Richard M. Nixon.
Nixon had urged the then President of Notre Dame to accept the
directorship of the Office of Economic Opportunity, the anti-poverty
program.
When Father Hesburgh rejected the full-time offer because he wished
to
[[Page H9851]]
stay at his beloved Notre Dame, President Nixon then offered him the
chairmanship of the Civil Rights Commission which was part-time.
At that time, 1969, the President also appointed me to the Commission
as the vice chairman. I had an opportunity to see Father Ted's
leadership skills close at hand. Believe me, his leadership skills are
many and effective.
Father Ted is beloved by all who have known him. He spoke out for
human rights and against dictatorships. He has secured the safety for
individuals who had fought for human rights in different parts of the
world.
Working together with our other four colleagues on the Commission, we
were able to begin a systematic analysis of the degree to which cabinet
departments and independent agencies were obeying and implementing the
great laws--such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.
Father Hesburgh's inspirational leadership and steady optimism were
appreciated by us all. We got things done. Presidents listened.
Father Hesburgh has served his Nation well, not only on matters of
civil rights here and abroad, and unemployment, poverty, hunger and
agriculture for developing nations so they can feed their people.
Although duties to American higher education off the campus, his door
was always open to students when he was at Notre Dame. When the light
was on, students knew he was in and climbed up the ladder or the stairs
to his quarters for a 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. discussion on philosophy,
ethics, and all the other things that he cared about in higher
education.
Of course, with great affection, the students kidded about Father
Ted's absence. They would ask ``What is the difference between God and
Father Ted?'' Answer: ``God is everywhere. Father Ted is everywhere but
at Notre Dame.''
Sometimes he would write the student body from ``high over the
Andes.'' But the fact was they knew that he was always approachable,
both to students and alumni.
His goal was to serve as a parish priest. He had that role to help
the veterans from the Second World War who returned or began at Notre
Dame. Although he achieved many other accomplishments working with
Presidents, Prime Ministers, potentates, kings, queens, dictators, he
always remembered that all human begings should have human rights.
America and the World gained much from the dedication and the
devotion of the man who saw his role as the local parish priest.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will enter into the Record a rollcall of the 230
Catholic institutions of higher education in our country. Among these
colleges is Georgetown University, our oldest Catholic university,
which celebrated its 250th birthday.
The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the sponsor of this bill, I
told him that I once heard a debate between two of my friends as to
which was the premier Catholic university, and it was between Holy
Cross and Georgetown. I asked them which one of those universities was
the premier Catholic university. He told me both of them were wrong,
that it was Notre Dame. Of course, the gentleman is from Indiana.
Among these colleges and universities is Spring Hill College in
Mobile, Alabama. Spring Hill College was the oldest Catholic college in
the Southeast, the fifth oldest in the United States. Among the
original cosponsors of this bill today is the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Lewis). Spring Hill was praised by Martin Luther King, Jr., as one
of the first colleges in the South to integrate racially. As an
Alabaman, I am proud of that distinction.
Mr. Speaker, let me mention some of the universities and colleges
throughout the Nation which contribute so mightily to the life of this
Nation and to the world. I mentioned Georgetown and Holy Cross; Fordham
University in New York; St. Louis University; Boston College; Catholic
University here in Washington; University of Detroit; the three Loyolas
in New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago; DePaul University in Chicago;
Marquette University, Creighton University in Omaha; the University of
Santa Clara; Villanova, of Saint John's University in New York.
A college that one of my friends went to, and I saw it listed, I take
sort of personal privilege in saying Manhattan College, a college that
gave many youth on limited income a chance to get ahead with the
scholarship.
Many fine women colleges, Catholic colleges for women: St. Mary's
College, Notre Dame's sister institution; Trinity College here in
Washington, D.C.; and a college that a good friend of mine attended,
that being Manhattan in New York.
There are many, many others, but I will simply introduce into the
Record all 230.
Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. BACHUS. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, I will not object to the gentleman from
Alabama entering into the Record all 230 universities as long as Notre
Dame is the first university entered in. Is that all right?
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, he had told me that. The gentleman from New
York (Mr. King) has requested that Notre Dame also be first on the list
with St. Francis College in Brooklyn to be added second. So I will
consent to that request.
So I offer the list referred to into the Record, moving Notre Dame to
the front of the list.
[From the association of Catholic Colleges and Universities,
Washington, DC]
u.s. catholic colleges and universities
Albertus Magnus College, Allentown College of Saint Francis
de Sales, Alvernia College, Alverno College, Ancilla College,
Anna Maria College, Aquinas College, Aquinas College, Inc.,
Assumption College, Assumption College for Sisters, Avila
College, Barat College, Barry University, Bellarmine College,
Belmont Abbey College, Benedictine College, Benedictine
University, Boston College, Brescia University, Briar Cliff
College, Cabrini College, Caldwell College.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Canisius College, Cardinal
Stritch University, Carlow College, Carroll College, Castle
College, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Chatfield College,
Chestnut Hill College, Christendom College, Christian
Brothers University, Clarke College, College Misericordia,
College of Mount Saint Joseph, College of Mount Saint
Vincent, College of New Rochelle, College of Notre Dame,
College of Notre Dame of Maryland, College of Our Lady of the
Elms, College of Saint Benedict, College of Saint Elizabeth,
College of Saint Francis, College of Saint Mary, College of
Saint Rose, College of Saint Thomas More, The College of
Santa Fe, College of St. Catherine.
College of St. Joseph, College of St. Scholastica, College
of the Holy Cross, Creighton University, D'Youville College,
DePaul University, Divine Word College, Dominican College of
Blauvelt, Dominican College of San Rafael, Dominican
University, Donnelly College, Duquesne University, Edgewood
College, Emmanuel College, Fairfield University, Felician
College, Fontbonne College, Fordham University, Franciscan
University of Steubenville, Gannon University, Georgetown
University, Georgian Court College, Gonzaga University,
Gwynedd-Mercy College, Heritage College, Hilbert College.
Holy Cross College, Holy Family College, Holy Name College,
Immaculata College, Iona College, John Carroll University,
King's College, La Roche College, La Salle University,
Laboure College, Le Moyne College, Lewis University, Loras
College, Lourdes College, Loyola College in Maryland, Loyola
Marymount University, Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola
University of Chicago, Madonna University, Manhattan College,
Manor Junior College, Maria College, Marian College, Marian
College of Fond du Lac, Marian Court College, Marist College,
Marquette University.
Marygrove College, Marylhurst University, Marymount
College, Marymount Manhattan College, Marymount University,
Marywood University, Mater Dei College, Mercy College of
Northwest Ohio, Mercyhurst College, Merrimack College, Molloy
College, Mount Aloysius College, Mount Carmel College of
Nursing, Mount Marty College, Mount Mary College, Mount Mercy
College, Mount Saint Clare College, Mount Saint Mary College,
Mount Saint Mary's College, Nazareth College of Rochester,
Neumann College, Newman University, Niagara University, Notre
Dame College, Notre Dame College of Ohio.
Ohio Dominican College, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Our
Lady of the Lake College, Our Lady of the Lake University,
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Presentation
College, Providence College, Queen of the Holy Rosary
College, Quincy University, Regis College, Regis University,
Rivier College, Rockhurst College, Rosemont College, Sacred
Heart University, Saint Anselm College, Saint Gregory's
University, Saint John's University, Saint John's University,
Saint Joseph College, Saint Joseph's College, Saint Joseph's
University, Saint Leo College, Saint Louis University, Saint
Mary College.
Saint Mary's College, Saint Mary's College of CA, Saint
Mary's University of Minnesota, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
College, Saint Michael's College, Saint Norbert College,
Saint Peter's College, Saint Vincent College, Saint
[[Page H9852]]
Xavier University, Salve Regina University, Santa Clara
University, Seattle University, Seton Hall University, Seton
Hill College, Siena College, Siena Heights University, Silver
Lake College, Spalding University, Spring Hill College,
Springfield College, St. Ambrose University, St. Bonaventure
University, St. Catharine College, St. Edward's University,
St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, St. Francis College.
St. Francis College, St. John Fisher College, St. Martin's
College, St. Mary's University, St. Thomas Aquinas College,
St. Thomas University, St. Vincent's College, Stonehill
College, The Catholic University of America,
Thomas Aquinas College, Thomas More College, Trinity
College, Trinity College of Vermont, Trocaire College,
Universidad Central De Bayamon, University of Dallas,
University of Dayton, University of Detroit Mercy, University
of Great Falls, University of Mary, University of Notre Dame,
University of Portland, University of Saint Francis,
University of San Diego, University of San Francisco,
University of Scranton, University of St. Thomas, University
of St. Thomas, University of the Incarnate Word, University
of the Sacred Heart, Ursuline College, Villa Julie College,
Villa Maria College of Buffalo, Villanova University, Viterbo
College, Walsh University, Wheeling Jesuit University, Xavier
University, Xavier University of Louisiana.
Mr. Speaker, I want to comment on one other thing about Father
Hesburgh, something I did not know about him until I studied about this
coin bill, but something that I think is very striking to any of us
that were on college campuses in 1969. In fact, not only was I
attending the University of Alabama at that time, but I was also a
member of the Army Reserves. So this really comes home to me.
Father Hesburgh has received numerous awards from educational groups
and from others. We have heard about some of those. Among those was the
prestigious John Nickel award given to him in 1970 by the American
Association of University Professors. This award, which honors those
who uphold academic freedom, recognizes Father Hesburgh's crucial role
in blunting the attempt of the Nixon administration in 1969 to use
Federal troops to quell campus disturbances.
Now, as someone who was both a university student and also a member
of the Army Reserve, I want to commend Father Hesburgh personally. I
know that there are a lot of other Americans that applaud his stand on
this who know, looking back at this time in history, how great a
contribution that was. But we know that it obviously could have avoided
some tragic times in our country.
This is one of many, many contributions that he made.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Gilman), Chairman of the Committee on International
Relations.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. Bachus), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the initial
sponsor of this measure, and for introducing this legislation and for
affording me this opportunity to speak today.
I want to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for
her support on this measure honoring Father Hesburgh.
As a priest, the university president, and a public servant, Father
Theodore Hesburgh dedicated his life to providing a better life for all
of us and for the development of an improved society. Throughout his
lifetime, Father Hesburgh has served on 15 presidential commissions,
most recently to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, peaceful uses of
atomic energy, campus unrest, treatment of Vietnam offenders, Third
World development, and immigration reform, to name just a few.
Father Hesburgh has significantly contributed to our Nation as a
national leader in the field of education, serving on many commissions
and study groups, examining matters ranging from public funding of
independent colleges and universities to the role of foreign languages
and international studies and higher education.
Father Hesburgh's stature as an elder statesman in America's higher
education is reflected in his 135 honorary degrees, the most degrees
ever awarded to any one American.
Throughout my tenure in the Congress, it has been a pleasure to work
with Father Hesburgh to value his distinguished leadership on a number
of worthy causes throughout the international spectrum. Accordingly, I
am pleased to join with my colleagues in commending Father Hesburgh for
his outstanding efforts and accomplishments. I strongly support this
recognition of his achievements for our Nation with a Congressional
Medal of Honor.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time we have
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. Bachus) has 1 minute remaining.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, when we think of Notre Dame, many of us think of Knute
Rockne. They think of the 1913 game when an obscure team from an
obscure college at that time, at least obscure to most Americans,
played Army and upset them 35 to 13. They think of Knute Rockne and the
fighting Irish. They think of that great coach. But that is what we
think about on Saturday.
But there is another man we honor today, and that is a man that left
his mark on the institution from Monday through Friday, which built
Notre Dame into a great academic university. His contributions deserve
to be discussed today.
{time} 1715
It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that this Congress fittingly
honors this man, Father Hesburgh.
I would just close by again thanking the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Roemer); his companion, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) in
the Indiana Congressional delegation; the gentleman from New York (Mr.
King); the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder); the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Lewis); and also the gentlewoman from Kentucky (Mrs.
Northup).
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of legislation to
award a Congressional Gold Medal to Reverend Theodore Hesburgh in
recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to civil
rights, higher education, the Catholic Church, and the nation. I want
to thank my colleague from Indiana, Tim Roemer, for his initiative in
introducing this bill. It has been a pleasure to co-sponsor this
legislation.
Father Hesburgh is a man known for the wide scope of his influence.
However, for me personally as a graduate of the University of Notre
Dame, Father Hesburgh will remain etched in my mind as a legendary
figure in the field of higher education. The tenacity and passion that
he continues to carry into the academic arena are clearly evident.
Serving as Notre Dame's president from 1952-87, Father Hesburgh led
the University in its rise to national prominence. When he stepped down
as head of Notre Dame--after nearly 35 years--he ended the longest
tenure among presidents of American colleges and universities. His
position as a fixture in American higher education is reflected in his
135 honorary degrees, the most ever awarded to an American.
Father Hesburgh's influence as an educator goes far beyond measurable
successes. His unique vision of the contemporary Catholic university as
an institution responsible for touching the moral, as well as the
intellectual dimensions, of scholarly inquiry has benefited countless
university students--myself included. ``The Catholic University should
be a place,'' he wrote, ``where all the great questions are asked,
where an exciting conversation is continually in progress, where the
mind constantly grows as the values and powers of intelligence and
wisdom are cherished and exercised.'' Father Hesburgh instills in
students that they have a moral obligation to make a positive
contribution to society both inside the classroom as well as in the
larger community. Today over eighty percent of Notre Dame students
volunteer their time to serve those who are less fortunate.
The public service career of Father Hesburgh is as distinguished as
his many educational contributions. Over the years, he has held 15
presidential appointments, served four popes, and he has remained a
national leader in the fields of education, civil rights and the
development of the third world. The lengthy list of awards honoring
Father Hesburgh includes the Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest
civilian honor, bestowed on him by President Johnson in 1964. Finally,
social justice has been the focus of many of his involvements outside
of the university. He was a charter member of the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights, created by Congress in 1957, and chaired the Commission
from 1969 to 1972.
Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of this bill, I strongly
encourage my colleagues to join me in bestowing this high honor upon
this excellent American.
[[Page H9853]]
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1932, a
bill to award a Congressional gold medal to Father Theodore M.
Hesburgh, C.S.C., in recognition of his contributions to civil rights,
higher education, the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the global
community. Before saying more, I would like to commend the bill's
author, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), for his leadership on
this bill.
Father Hesburgh was the 15th president of the University of Notre
Dame, holding that position from 1952 until 1987, and has been
president emeritus since 1987. For half a century, Father Hesburgh has
been one of our Nation's greatest public servants and his enormous
humanitarian contributions have been widely recognized. In 1964,
President Johnson awarded Father Hesburgh the Medal of Freedom, our
nation's highest civilian honor.
He has held fifteen U.S. presidential appointments in such areas as
the peaceful use of atomic energy, Third World development, immigration
(having chaired the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy
from 1979 to 1981), and civil rights (having chaired the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights from 1969 to 1972). In each case, Father
Hesburgh has served with distinction.
It is not surprising, given this record of principled, dedicated
public service, that the University of Notre Dame founded the Hesburgh
Program in Public Service in 1987. The Hesburgh Program seeks to
prepare Notre Dame students for an active life devoted to the pursuit
of effective and just responses to issues in American society. In
short, it encourages young men and women to emulate Father Hesburgh's
years of selfless, devoted service.
Moreover, two buildings on the Notre Dame campus bear the Hesburgh
name. In 1987, the Memorial Library was renamed the Hesburgh Library in
recognition of his active role in the establishment of the library in
1959, the fulfillment of its goals in the years since, and the personal
example he has set for Americans young an old as a lifelong learner.
The second building honored with his name is the Hesburgh Center for
International Studies. Home to the Joan B. Kroc Institute for
International Peace Studies and the Helen Kellogg Institute for
International Studies, the Hesburgh Center reflects Father Hesburgh's
vital contribution and desire to expand our understanding of the world
around us, improve the resolution of violent conflicts, and promote
human rights, equitable development, and social justice here and
abroad.
It is with the utmost respect and admiration for Father Hesburgh and
his life's work that I support today's recognition of his
accomplishments which have benefitted our nation and urge unanimous
passage of H.R. 1932.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1932.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________