[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 56 (Monday, April 30, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S4040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF ROBERT O. ANDERSON

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, the Institute of the North 
recently held a ceremony to honor Robert O. Anderson and his lifetime 
of achievements. I, too, would like to add my appreciation for his many 
contributions to our Nation. Robert O. has earned renown as a petroleum 
executive, an environmentalist, a diplomat, a rancher, and a community 
leader. He began his career in the oil industry shortly after he 
graduated from the University of Chicago in 1939. In 1941, he and his 
family moved to my home State of New Mexico after he acquired an 
interest in a small oil refinery in Artesia. Within six months, he had 
more than doubled the production of the refinery. Though his innovation 
and experimentation was greeted with skepticism by many within the 
industry, Robert O. persevered and soon moved on to larger refineries, 
eventually becoming Chairman and CEO of Arco, the Atlantic-Richfield 
Company, all the while bringing robust economic development and 
hundreds of jobs to New Mexico.
  At Arco, Robert O. was instrumental in bringing Alaska into the 
twentieth century. In fact, Alaska's history is closely intertwined 
with Arco and with Robert O. Anderson. Under his leadership, Arco 
discovered one of Alaska's greatest natural resources: the Prudhoe Bay 
oil field. As Arco developed the Prudhoe Bay, Robert O. surprised the 
environmental community by working with them to ensure that the 
pipeline was completed in an environmentally responsible manner. 
Throughout his career, Robert O. Anderson has brought economic 
prosperity to Alaska, while respecting and preserving its natural 
treasures.
  In fact, the United States owes Robert O. Anderson a special debt of 
gratitude in our current era of energy crises. The U.S. depends heavily 
on the Prudhoe Bay oil field, which provides 25 percent of our domestic 
oil supply. When Prudhoe Bay was first discovered, skeptics claimed 
that the U.S. could do without its oil supply. They also claimed that 
the local wildlife would be irreparably harmed. And now, three decades 
later, the Prudhoe Bay area provides us with over 1.4 million barrels 
of oil a day. And virtually every study has concluded that not one of 
the local species of wildlife has declined. Rather, every single 
species has thrived. Imagine the position the U.S. would be in if 
Robert O. had listened to these skeptics. Everyone agrees that we are 
too dependent on foreign sources of energy, but imagine how dependent 
we would be if it were not for Robert O. Anderson.
  In addition to oil, Robert O. Anderson's other business interests 
have included cattle ranching, mining and milling, and general 
manufacturing. He has served on the board of directors of the National 
Petroleum Council since 1951 and has received numerous honors and 
titles recognizing his extensive charitable and community work. He has 
also served on the Board of Regents of the New Mexico Institute of 
Mining and Technology and currently serves on the National Advisory 
Board of the University of New Mexico Anderson Schools of Management, 
two fine institutions in my home state. Robert O. Anderson also founded 
the International Institute for Environmental Development to further 
his lifelong passion of preserving and protecting the environment.
  Once again I thank Robert O. Anderson for his years of service to our 
State of New Mexico and to our Nation. He has a true American story. 
His hard work and determination have produced a proud legacy of 
accomplishments and public service.

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