[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4616-S4617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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      JOSEPH LIMPRECHT, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA

 Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my thanks, the 
thanks of the U.S. Senate, and the thanks of the American people, to a 
dedicated public servant, Ambassador Joe Limprecht.
  Ambassador Limprecht served as America's representative to Albania 
from 1999 until his death last week. At a challenging time in history, 
he was on the front lines of U.S. international outreach. He died while 
serving our Nation.

[[Page S4617]]

  Joe Limprecht brought a strong Nebraska common sense and perspective 
to the daunting challenges facing our Ambassador in Albania. Joe was a 
fifth-generation Nebraskan. His wife, Nancy is also a native-born 
Nebraskan.
  In 1964, Joe graduated from Omaha Westside High School. His wife also 
attended Westside, where she graduated in 1966. Joe then went on to get 
his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago. He received a 
doctorate in history from Berkeley. During his Foreign Service Career, 
he also earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the 
Kennedy School at Harvard.
  Joe entered the Foreign Service in 1975, but his ties to Nebraska 
remained strong. He remained a member of the Nebraska Historical 
Society. I knew his father well. Hollis Limprecht was an institution in 
Omaha. He worked at the Omaha World Herald for 40 years. For 23 of 
those years he edited the paper's ``Midlands Magazine.''
  Joe took an unusual path up through the ranks of the Foreign Service. 
From 1985 to 1988, he essentially served as West Berlin's Chief of 
Police under the Four Powers Agreement. His formal title was the Public 
Safety Advisor to the U.S. Mission in Berlin. In this role, Joe was 
involved in law enforcement, intelligence, and national security issues 
at a level rarely available to members of the Foreign Service.
  He followed this posting with another unusual assignment. From 1988 
to 1991, Joe was the Counselor for Narcotics Affairs at the U.S. 
Embassy in Pakistan. This job also required strong problem-solving 
capabilities and a certain toughness. In recent months, Americans have 
gained a much greater understanding for the challenges this post had to 
have presented.
  After 1991, Joe's career followed a more traditional route that 
emphasized his diplomatic and management skills. From 1993 to 1995 he 
served as Chief of Career Development and Training at the State 
Department. Prior to becoming Ambassador to Albania, he served as the 
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan.
  Joe Limprecht was the complete foreign service officer. He 
represented our nation on the front lines, in very difficult 
international territory. America owes him, and his family, a debt of 
gratitude for their selfless service.
  Joe leaves behind his wife Nancy, and two daughters, Alma Klein and 
Eleanor Limprecht. But he also leaves behind a record of service that 
stands as a model to young Americans.
  I am proud to say Joe Limprecht was a fellow Nebraskan, a friend, and 
an outstanding American.

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