[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         HONORING JIM ATKINSON

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a true 
Montana hero--Jim Atkinson. His death, after a long battle with 
leukemia last December, was a great loss to me personally and to the 
State of Montana.
  You know, we always talk about how important education is. Especially 
here in Congress, we talk about how children are the future and that we 
need to invest in that future, and that's true. But Jim Atkinson did 
more than just talk about education; he lived it. He was on the front 
lines every day, as a principal at Charlo Elementary and later as the 
vice president of the Montana Association of Elementary and Middle 
School Principals.
  As an Administrator in the Montana school system, Jim was 
instrumental in the effort to modernize our State's schools. He 
realized quickly how important technology would be to students, and set 
up a computer lab for the Charlo school. Without people like Jim all 
our talk about education wouldn't amount to anything. His foresight and 
dedication to education in Montana made him a true hero. But there was 
more to Jim than just his job.
  Originally a native of Abington, PA, it was the outdoors and the land 
that brought Jim to Montana. He was an accomplished mountain climber 
and fly fisherman. Montana's rugged peaks and blue ribbon trout streams 
had a hold on Jim's soul. And Jim was a true family man. He is survived 
by his wife, Luan, and his two sons, Sam and Tyson.
  Mr. President, Jim was a young man. He was only forty-eight at the 
time of his death. He spent his life serving his community, educating 
children, raising his family and enjoying the land of our majestic 
State. Many men would be lucky to accomplish this much in a hundred 
years. I expect Jim's legacy will last much longer than that.

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