[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO BILL AND CLAUDIA COLEMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 8, 2001

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
Bill and Claudia Coleman for their gracious donation to the University 
of Colorado. On January 16, 2001, University of Colorado president 
Elizabeth Hoffman accepted their donation, the single largest gift ever 
given to an American University. The gift, totaling $250 million, will 
be used to establish the University of Colorado Coleman Institute for 
Disabilities. The program will fund advanced research and development 
of innovative technologies intended to enhance the lives of people with 
cognitive disabilities.
  Cognitive disabilities are associated with a number of conditions, 
such as mental retardation and developmental retardation. ``This will 
make CU the international center of excellence in developing adaptive 
assistance technologies, based on advanced biomedical and computer 
science research and computer science research, for people with 
congnitive disabilities,'' Hoffman said.
  Bill is the founder and chairman of BEA Systems of San Jose, 
California, and his wife Claudia, is a former manager with Hewlett 
Packard. An Air Force Academy graduate and former executive with Sun 
Microsystems, Bill said the idea for the donation came from a tour of 
CU's Center for LifeLong Learning and Design. Bill and Claudia are no 
strangers to cognitive disabilities. They have a niece with the 
disability, and they understand the benefits and the promise new 
technologies offer.
  The Coleman's plan to play an active role in the institute. They said 
the ``incredibly strong'' team of researchers at CU played a decisive 
role in the decision to give the University the endowment. ``We have 
witnessed the challenges this population faces every day with problem 
solving, reasoning skills and understanding and using language,'' Bill 
said. ``I passionately believe that we as a society have the 
intelligence and the responsibility to develop technologies that will 
expand the ability of those with congnitive disabilities to learn, to 
understand and to communicate,'' he added.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an unprecedented gift by both Mr. and Mrs. 
Coleman. Their generosity and vision will help countless Americans now 
and in the future. For that, they deserve the thanks and praise of this 
body.

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