[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 102 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             STATEMENT ON THE LOSS OF MRS. KATHARINE GRAHAM

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 19, 2001

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a 
great lady, Katharine Graham, former chairman and CEO of the Washington 
Post Co., who passed away on Tuesday, July 17th, from head injuries 
sustained after she fell on a sidewalk in Sun Valley, Idaho. My heart 
goes out to Mrs. Graham's family and those who became part of her 
extended family.
  Mrs. Graham was a gutsy pioneer. She was not intimidated by power or 
titles and created, with the utmost integrity, her own fulcrum to help 
move the world. And the world came to know she was here.
  Katharine Graham found the best people and backed them to the hilt. 
In any controversy she always came down on the side of principle. And 
she did so with style, grace, and good cheer. ``Think no little 
thoughts, do no little deeds'' could have served as Katharine Graham's 
motto.
  When faced with tragic situations in her own life that would have 
destroyed most others, Mrs. Graham reached deep down and discovered 
strength. She could have lived a carefree life, going down an easy, 
well-traveled road. But by the sheer force of her indomitable will and 
genius Katharine Graham took the road less traveled. And she made it 
her own.
  Katharine Graham's passing saddens me in a very personal way--because 
she was so much a part of this town and this region. Her death leaves a 
void. When I say ``this town'' I mean this great city, the District of 
Columbia, our Nation's Capital, and the Washington Region. Most of the 
tributes to Mrs. Graham have properly noted her immense role in our 
great national adventure as a country, and her key part in the 
stewardship of one of the greatest newspapers in American history, The 
Washington Post. Those tributes are fully justified, as she breathed 
new life into the First Amendment, without which our democratic 
republic would be unthinkable.
  But the Katharine Graham I will always remember so vividly and 
personally is the Katharine Graham who loved this city and who soared 
above the crowd in her devotion to, and involvement in, the lifeblood 
of Washington, D.C.
  Less than 2 years ago I had the honor of being a guest in her home 
upon the occasion of congressional passage of the District of Columbia 
Tuition Act, landmark legislation I was pleased to sponsor as Chairman 
of the D.C. Subcommittee. Mrs. Graham and her son, Don Graham, took a 
keen interest in that legislation, which has provided unprecedented 
educational opportunities for D.C. students. Likewise with other local 
issues, Mrs. Graham as publisher of The Washington Post helped to 
insure that there would always be a very sharp focus on the real city 
that lies just beyond the Monumental Core of the Nation's Capital.
  So this week this town is in mourning. We grieve the passing of one 
of the most significant people ever to reside in our midst.
  Mr. Speaker, Katharine Graham's legacy is one of unshakeable courage 
and enduring accomplishment. Our institutions of freedom and fairness 
have lost a great friend. May God grant us others who emulate the 
shining example of Katharine Graham.

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