[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  STATEMENT IN HONOR OF PHYLLIS WATTIS

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                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay final tribute to one of San 
Francisco's most generous patrons of the arts, Phyllis Wattis, who died 
June 5th at age 97. Phyllis's extraordinary generosity and commitment 
to artistic, educational, and scientific organizations continues to 
enrich the lives of all of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. 
Through her philanthropy and her personal warmth, she left an indelible 
mark on our City and the lives of those who loved and admired her.
  Phyllis and her husband Paul moved to San Francisco in 1937. With her 
pioneering spirit and contagious enthusiasm, Phyllis adopted the arts 
as her philanthropic cause. In 1958, Mr. and Mrs. Wattis established 
the Paul L. and Phyllis Wattis Foundation. When her husband died in 
1971, she assumed the presidency of the Foundation. After 1988, Phyllis 
dissolved the foundation and began making individual contributions to a 
variety of educational and cultural institutions. Her consummate 
modesty in giving makes it impossible to know the total amount of her 
contributions, but it has been estimated at $200 million.
  She gave to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the San Francisco 
Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Art Institute. 
She donated significantly to the San Francisco Museum of Modem Art, 
first to construct its stunning new home and then to build a world-
renowned collection equal to its new building. She funded a new 
building at the California Academy of Sciences, and gave major grants 
to the Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, Children's Hospital of 
San Francisco, UC Irvine, and Bellarmine College Preparatory.
  Nearly every major cultural, educational, and scientific organization 
in San Francisco has benefited from her generosity. For her long 
service to the community, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts 
degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and commendations from 
several San Francisco Mayors. I was proud to nominate her for a 
National Medal of Arts.
  Phyllis's contribution to the arts was not only financial. Her 
leadership, creativity, and intelligence were immense gifts in their 
own right. She was never afraid to take risks on new and innovative 
art, and her vision enabled arts organizations to push forward into new 
ground. Her sharp eye and captivating personality helped to nurture 
some of the city's most important cultural institutions.
  San Francisco is forever indebted to Phyllis. Her contributions to 
our cultural resources are immeasurable; her friendship and energy will 
be sorely missed. It is with great sadness and recognition of their 
loss that I offer my deepest sympathies to her son Paul, her daughter 
Carol, her five grandsons, three granddaughters, and eight great 
grandchildren. Like the art she left behind, our memories of Phyllis 
are permanent and beautiful.

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