[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 67 (Thursday, May 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E839-E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING JAMES V. KIMSEY, FOUNDING CEO AND CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF AMERICA 
             ONLINE INC., ON THE COMPANY'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who 
personifies America's pioneer spirit, exemplifies its entrepreneurial 
vision, and, most importantly, stands as a sterling example of the 
uniquely American practice of philanthropy.
  A son of the Nation's Capital, James V. Kimsey is the Founding CEO 
and Chairman Emeritus of America Online, Inc., as well as the Chairman 
of the AL Foundation and the Kimsey Foundation. He studied at 
Georgetown University on an honors scholarship and graduated from the 
United States Military Academy at West Point before serving in the 
United States Army as an airborne ranger, rising to the rank of Major. 
He received numerous awards for service and valor during one term in 
the Dominican Republic and two in Vietnam.
  The list of honors bestowed upon this great American literally goes 
on and on. Mr. Speaker, allow me to mention just a few: 1994 Business 
Leader of the Year, Washingtonian Magazine. KPMG Peat Marwick High Tech 
Entrepreneur of the Year. American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate 
Award. The first annual ``I Have a Dream Award.'' Presidential 
appointments to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and the West Point 
Board of Visitors. Chairman of the Washington Millennium and 
Bicentennial Commission. Chairman of the Board of The Washington Opera 
and member of the National Symphony Orchestra's executive committee.
  But the accomplishment for which I rise today, Mr. Speaker, is that 
for which Jim Kimsey is best known--his visionary leadership in 
founding the company now called AOL

[[Page E840]]

on May 24, 1985. After leaving the Army, Kimsey took his self-described 
``airborne-ranger-infantryman'' mentality into the D.C. business world, 
opening restaurants, dabbling in real estate, and creating a bank-
holding company. Then, in the early 1980s, he got involved in 
ControlVideo Corporation, a small firm that downloaded video games over 
the telephone--a venture he now calls a ``first-class fiasco.''
  Always a step ahead of the curve, Kimsey, along with his partners, 
opted to move CVC's assets to another company rather than kill it. CVC 
became Quantum Computer Services, and from there--with the help of some 
venture capital--AOL was born. In a magazine interview last year, Mr. 
Kimsey recalled those anxious days, and it struck me

       ``We were like a little boat speeding through the bayou. We 
     didn't want anyone to see how big we were getting before we 
     broke out into the open. Our challenge was to keep our eyes 
     on where the river was flowing. . . . Because we kept a low 
     profile, we went unnoticed by the big boys until we were a 
     major force in the market.''

  Beyond such David-and Goliath strategizing, furthermore, is a born 
leader who holds steady to the American ideal of self-reliance. Witness 
another excerpt from the magazine interview:

       ``When you are in battle, it's your job to accomplish your 
     mission and bring your man back alive. There's no excuse if 
     you don't. If you're a business CEO and you didn't figure out 
     where the universe was moving, or what it takes to make your 
     company successful, there's no excuse. When you have the 
     mindset that there is no excuse, you will be successful.''

  Successful indeed, Mr. Speaker, AOL and Jim Kimsey are now American 
institutions because they represent the very best of America in the 
Information Age: innovation, energy, risk-taking. I am proud to have 
had the chance to spend a good deal of time with this man, for I have 
learned much from him. He is the kind of person who reminds us, when we 
are in his presence, of Melville's words: ``It is better to fail in 
originality than to succeed in imitation.''
  And now--now that he has accomplished all that an American 
businessman could dream of accomplishing--now he has turned his 
attention to serving America, much as he did during his years at West 
Point and his three tours of duty. ``Having money,'' Kimsey has said, 
``doesn't necessarily mean that you're successful. It just means that 
you were lucky.''
  That selfless perspective was apparent back in Vietnam, when he 
founded an orphanage he continues to support today. And it is apparent 
now as he takes on new philanthropic endeavors--from the dozens of non-
profit boards he sits on to the message of education in the Internet 
Age that he spreads to teachers, students, parents and communities 
across America. Jim Kimsey believes as I do, that if we address the 
plight of disadvantaged children early, many of our society's problems 
will all but disappear. One of the challenges he's taken on is to 
figure out how technology can ameliorate the problems of education. 
During a trip to Vietnam just a couple years ago, he even dedicated a 
school in Dong Ha to which he continues to donate money.
  Blink your eyes and there he is, deep in the mountains of Colombia, 
talking to leaders of that country's Revolutionary Armed Forces, trying 
to improve communication between their camp and that of Colombian 
President Pastrana. Blink your eyes once more and there again is 
Kimsey, serving as host at a fundraiser for one of the many charities 
to which he lends his name, energy and know-how.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to extend my sincere congratulations 
to my friend Jim Kimsey on the 15th anniversary of one of America's 
great companies. I want to thank him for all that he has given to the 
greater Washington area, and all of the United States. Due largely to 
his foresight and determination, America is leading the way in the 
Information Age. Even more importantly, I want to thank him for serving 
as a model of corporate philanthropy.

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