[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 27 (Monday, March 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E286-E287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
A TRIBUTE TO ELINOR GUGGENHEIMER
______
HON. NITA M. LOWEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Monday, March 13, 2000
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great admiration
for Elinor Guggenheimer, a remarkable human being and community leader
who this year receives the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior
Services.
A woman of boundless compassion, great intelligence, and exceptional
ability, Ms. Guggenheimer has touched countless lives in the New York
area through a variety of professional and civic activities, while also
promoting the cause of equality and social justice throughout the
Nation.
Ms. Guggenheimer has always been a pioneer, recognizing the unique
needs of young people and the elderly years before these causes
attracted broad popular support. She founded the Day Care Council of
New York in 1948 and the Day Care and Child Development Council of
America in 1958, drawing attention to our shared responsibility to
nurture children. And she founded the Council of Senior Centers and
Services in 1979, establishing
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a true intergenerational commitment to senior citizens.
Ms. Guggenheimer was also a pioneer in her own life--demonstrating
through her personal example that women had the same capacity for
leadership as men. She was the first woman to serve on the New York
City Planning Commission--one of many posts, including Consumer Affairs
Commissioner, from which she helped temper the sometimes harsh
character of New York with a gentle spirit and a true love for her
neighbors.
Ms. Guggenheimer's commitment to equal opportunity is equally evident
in her founding of several influential women's organizations, including
the New York Women's Forum, the National Women's Forum, and
International Women's Forum, and the New York Women's Agenda.
Like so many others, I feel personally indebted to Elinor
Guggenheimer for all she has done to improve our nation and celebrate
our most cherished ideals. I am proud to join in recognizing Ms.
Guggenheimer and confident that her works will remain an inspiration
for many years to come.
____________________