[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S966-S967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN MEMORY OF GEORGE A. ATHANSON

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, on January 11, 2000, with the passing 
of George A. Athanson, the state of Connecticut lost a faithful and 
companionate public servant and one of its most colorful political 
figures in recent memory. Often called the ``people's mayor,'' George 
was one of the longest serving and most beloved mayors in the history 
of Hartford, Connecticut. I would like to take a few moments to reflect 
on his many contributions to the city of Hartford.
  George Athanson was a product of the city he came to love and serve 
so well. A Hartford-born son of Greek heritage, he attended Hartford 
Public High School, where his intelligence and personal charm won him 
the admiration of his peers and teachers alike. He went on to Amherst 
College where he graduated cum laude with a degree in political 
science. Following a short stint in the Marines, George returned to 
academia, this time to the University of Chicago law school where he 
received a law degree in 1955. George would also earn a masters in 
international relations from the University of Connecticut in 1958.
  George's love for his home town and affinity for learning lead him to 
teaching at the University of Hartford. As a professor of history and 
political science, George was known for a dramatic flair that enlivened 
his classes--a flair that George would bring to the mayor's office with 
his election in 1971. His magnetic personality, energy, creativity and 
verve for the dramatic contributed to his tremendous popularity and 
resulted in one of the longest mayoral tenures in Hartford's history, 
from 1971 to 1981.
  He considered himself a liberal Democrat and was confident that 
government could play a role in solving social and economic problems. 
George was a colorful politician with a flamboyant style. While he was 
hard working, his efforts were often overshadowed by the creative and 
novel actions he undertook to promote the city. On one occasion, George 
rowed across the Connecticut River holding a state flag and dressed as 
George Washington to protest a General Assembly vote. On another 
occasion, he stepped into a boxing ring with a Republican opponent to 
raise money for charity. And in perhaps his best known act of political 
theater, George showed up to promote development at Brainard Airport in 
Hartford dressed as the Red Baron and climbed into the cockpit of a bi-
plane for photographers.
  It wasn't these dramatics that made George Athanson so popular, 
however, but his underlying dedication to the city of Hartford. He 
humanized the mayor's office. George was a man of great personal 
strength and he used his talent and energy to bring the city together. 
He built and maintained lines of communication among the city's diverse 
racial and ethnic communities and in the process became the people's 
mayor.
  It was fitting that in his final days in office, George continued 
what had become a tradition during his tenure, the delivery of the 
annual New Year's poem. The poems were symbolic of the man who composed 
them--witty, humorous and full of political insight. With tears in his 
eyes, George delivered his last New Year's poem in 1981 entitled Ode to 
the People of Hartford, which read in part:

     Those stunts for charity, I did my part
     ``Buffoon,'' critics said, but where's THEIR heart?
     Resolutions by the thousands, I've made my mark

[[Page S967]]

     Now it's time for a stroll through the park.

  Indeed, George did leave his mark. He will long be remembered as a 
political leader of great insight, compassion, wit, and enduring 
affection for the people he felt so privileged to serve. My thoughts 
and prayers go out to his wife of 37 years, Zoe, and their son 
Arthur.

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