[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JOHN W. GARDNER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 27, 2002

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute today to a 
distinguished Californian and a great American, John W. Gardner, who 
died at the age of eighty-nine on February 16, 2002. He leaves his wife 
of 67 years, Aida, and his two daughters, Stephanie Gardner Trimble and 
Francesca Gardner. He also leaves two granddaughters, two grandsons, 
two great-grandchildren and a brother, Louis.
  John W. Gardner was born in California in 1912. A true American hero, 
he devoted his life to public service, pioneering the modern movement 
for citizen activism, campaign finance reform and healthcare for the 
needy.
  A 1935 graduate of Stanford University, John Gardner went on to earn 
a doctorate in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. 
He taught psychology at Connecticut College and Mount Holyoke and was 
later named Haas Centennial Professor of Public Service at Stanford.
  John Gardner served under six U.S. Presidents including President 
Lyndon B. Johnson who named him Secretary of Health, Education and 
Welfare. A Republican, Mr. Gardner believed good ideas transcended 
partisanship, and as Secretary, he initiated and implemented many of 
the programs in President Johnson's War on Poverty. He developed many 
of these innovative ideas during his decade as President of the 
Carnegie Corporation.
  After leaving government service, Mr. Gardner continued to serve the 
public. In 1970 he founded Common Cause, a prominent citizens' watchdog 
organization that remains a powerful political force today. John 
Gardner was also cofounder of Independent Sector, a philanthropic 
coalition of over six hundred corporate and nonprofit organizations.
  Inspired by his commitment to public service, both Stanford and U.C. 
Berkeley have established a successful public service fellowship in his 
honor. Modeled after the White House Fellows Program which Gardner 
designed, the John Gardner Fellowship in Public Service serves as a 
critical launching pad for graduating seniors looking to pursue a 
career in public service.
  When the House passed Campaign Finance Reform in the early hours of 
February fourteenth, it was John Gardner whom I thought of first 
because no one did more or spoke more eloquently about the need for 
this critical reform. Frequently referred to as the ``father of 
campaign finance reform,'' he was appointed by President Clinton as co-
chairman of the Campaign Finance Reform Commission. The American people 
owe an enormous debt of gratitude to this extraordinary individual for 
his leadership, his commitment and his vision.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this 
exceptional man and extend our condolences to his wife and family. We 
are a better community, a better country and a better people because of 
John W. Gardner.

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