[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 8, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E749-E750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN HONOR OF TOM BARRON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 8, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tom Barron 
for his extraordinary advocacy of environmental causes and his 
unwavering commitment to young people everywhere.
  A dear friend of mine once said that she looked for two qualities in 
leaders--that they care about the earth, and that they care about kids. 
If caring about the earth and kids is the mark of a special leader, and 
I believe it is, then Tom Barron is such a man.
  Tom grew up in the ranch country of Colorado with his seven brothers 
and sisters. It was on the family ranch that he developed a love for 
the land and a passion for exploring nature--all at a very young age. 
Tom has been a manager of a successful venture capital business, a 
Rhodes Scholar, a board member of the Wilderness Society, Yale 
University and a Trustee for the Nature Conservancy of Colorado. Today 
he is a very popular writer who has created the beloved characters of 
young Merlin and Kate, in The Ancient One.
  He believes that stories are the most powerful and effective way to 
express complicated and philosophical points of view. He knows that 
experience, rather than lectures, are often what teach us the most in 
life. This is very clear in all of his work. In The Lost Years of 
Merlin, Merlin learns all of his most important lessons from nature. He 
learns how to be humble and to understand his connection to the larger 
universe. Most important of all, he realizes his fundamental 
responsibility to something greater than his own self-interest. Tom's 
character Kate, the heroine of The Ancient One, turns herself into an 
ancient redwood tree in order to save her town. In the book, a chain 
saw cuts into the side of the tree, into Kate's side, which is a 
powerful metaphor for violence, cruelty and senseless destruction.
  Throughout his professional and private life Tom Barron has made it a 
goal to bolster educational causes and recognize exceptional

[[Page E750]]

young people. He has donated incredible amounts of his own time and 
many resources to the betterment of children's lives. His mother, 
Gloria Barron, spent twenty years creating The Touch Museum at the 
Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. She was an example of 
selflessness and service, and to honor his mother, Tom Barron founded 
the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The prize honors young people 
from diverse backgrounds who have shown exceptional leadership in 
making the world a better place. Recipients of the award have 
distinguished themselves by organizing many wonderful projects, 
including the creation of scholarships, working to conserve a local 
river, and organizing a rodeo for disabled children.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our 
gratitude to Tom Barron for his extraordinary contributions to Mother 
Earth and to all of her children.

                          ____________________