[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 113 (Thursday, September 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S8939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE GENEROSITY OF JOAN C. EDWARDS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 
philanthropy of one of West Virginia's most celebrated adopted 
daughters. Later this month at a formal naming ceremony, the Marshall 
University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, will be 
renamed the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University. 
It gives me great honor to come to the floor today to be able to share 
Joan Edwards' remarkable story with the nation.
  Born in London, England, Joan's family moved to New Orleans when she 
was only four years old. At the age of 17, Joan set off to tour the 
nation singing the ``Sugar Blues'' with Clyde McCoy and his Kentucky 
band. As a young girl, Joan's singing career brought her to Chicago, 
New York, and Pittsburgh, among other cities, where she met her future 
husband and Huntington, West Virginia native, James ``Jim'' Edwards. 
Joan and Jim were married soon after, and lived in Pittsburgh prior to 
returning to Huntington to work at the Edwards' family business, 
National Mattress Company. Together, Jim and Joan would build the 
family's business into a great American success story and were also 
able to take up their passion of breeding racehorses.
  In 1991, after 54 years of marriage, Jim Edwards lost his battle with 
cancer. Shortly thereafter, Joan Edwards announced that she would 
present a total of over $20 million in contributions to the Huntington 
community from their estate. This included $1 million to the Marshall 
University School of Medicine, $1 million to the Huntington Museum of 
Art, $2 million to the Episcopal Church, and $16 million to the Cabell 
Huntington Hospital for the construction of an adult cancer center.
  This story in and of itself is remarkable, but Joan Edwards' charity 
goes even beyond that. Since that time, Joan has donated an additional 
$1 million to the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Marshall and $2 
million to address the University's most pressing needs. And Joan 
Edwards has not stopped there. She has raised the bar even further. 
Having lost both her husband and son to cancer, Joan has bequeathed an 
additional $16 million to the Marshall University Medical School with 
an additional $2 million dedicated toward preliminary planning, design, 
and development for the creation of a children's cancer center.
  It is indeed fitting that Marshall University will bestow a great 
honor upon Mrs. Edwards, formally renaming its Medical School the Joan 
C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University. I would also like 
to point out that only one-third of all of the medical schools in the 
nation are named after a benefactor. Of these institutions, Marshall 
University's School of Medicine will be the first in the nation named 
after a woman. This is such a fitting tribute for such an amazing 
woman.
  Joan has demonstrated the true meaning of philanthropy. Her active 
engagement in academics, the arts, athletics, and health care has 
impacted the lives of countless people in West Virginia and across the 
country, serving as an inspiration to us all. She has done more for the 
foundation of the community than most people would ever be able to do, 
and we are fortunate to have her as part of the fabric of West 
Virginia. I thank Joan for all of her selfless acts, and as we 
celebrate this honor, I am reminded of how proud I am that she is a 
fellow West Virginian.

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