[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 26, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      80TH BIRTHDAY OF BRIG. GEN. ROBERT F. McDERMOTT, USAF (RET.)

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY BONILLA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 25, 2000

  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, Monday, July 31, 2000 is the 80th birthday 
of retired Air Force Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott. I offer 
congratulations and continued happiness to him and his loved ones. On 
this special day for ``McD,'' I wish to honor and salute him for his 
lifelong service to his fellow Americans.
  Born in Boston, Massachusetts, General McDermott attended Boston 
Latin School and Norwich University. He graduated from West Point with 
the Class of January 1943. After commissioning, he flew 61 combat 
missions in a P-38 over Europe. After World War II ended, he continued 
his military service in Europe, the Pentagon, and, after earning an MBA 
at Harvard, on the faculty at West Point.
  His assignment to the newly created Air Force Academy in 1954 
signaled the beginning of his outstanding contributions to the U.S. Air 
Force. As Dean of the Faculty for the first ten graduating classes, he 
pioneered and championed a number of innovations that changed the face 
of service academy education. These included a modernized and enriched 
curriculum, academic majors, the first Department of Astronautics in 
the country, and cooperative Master's degree programs with prestigious 
universities such as UCLA and Purdue. He also developed a whole-person 
admissions program which brought the highest quality students to the 
Academy. These innovations were so successful that West Point and 
Annapolis broke with their traditions and instituted many of them. For 
these accomplishments, General McDermott is universally acknowledged as 
the ``Father of Modern Military Education.''
  For many this would have been enough success for one lifetime, but 
not for McD. In 1969 he tackled the private sector, becoming the head 
of USAA, an insurance and financial services association that served 
military officers and their families. Under General McDermott USAA grew 
from a relatively small property and casualty insurer into a successful 
financial services supermarket. He added no-load mutual funds, credit 
cards, a discount brokerage, and a full-service bank. He also pioneered 
technology-based customer service, employing ``800'' phone services, 
computers, and IMAGE processing. Today USAA is a worldwide insurance 
and diversified financial services family of companies, where the 
majority of customers continue to be members of the U.S. military.
  General McDermott also made USAA a great place to work. No company 
was rated higher in the first publication of the ``Best Places to Work 
in America,'' and Fortune selected USAA as the best service provider in 
the insurance industry. McD has received virtually all the highest 
accolades offered to businessmen, including selection to the National 
Business Hall of Fame. After retiring as USAA Chairman Emeritus in 
1993, his methods continue to be a model for insurance and financial 
services companies.
  At the same time McD has made enormous contributions to his 
community, including founding the San Antonio Economic Development 
Foundation, the Texas Research Park, and a mentor program that has 
reached thousands of children. General McDermott's energy, vision, 
intelligence, character, and belief in the Golden Rule has made 
everything he touches positive and successful.
  Once again, Happy Birthday McD. Congratulations on a great 80 years 
and best wishes for many more.

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