[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 119 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8916-S8917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     2002 IOWA WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I wanted to take a few minutes to 
recognize four outstanding women who the Iowa Commission on the Status 
of Women have selected for this year's inductees to the Iowa Women's 
Hall of Fame.
  Each year, the Commission solicits nominations of women, living or 
deceased, who have had a significant impact on society or their 
communities. Four nominees are selected by a five-member committee and 
the Commission and then are honored by the Governor and the Lieutenant 
Governor at a special ceremony. I'd like to add my voice to this 
tribute to four accomplished Iowa women.
  Bonnie Campbell has been a strong leader since she first began her 
private practice in Des Moines. In 1990, she became the first female 
elected Iowa attorney general in our State's history. She used her 
position to author and pass one of the Nation's first anti-stalking 
laws. By 1995, her work was recognized nationally and she was appointed 
director of the U.S. Department of Justice's Violence Against Women 
Office. She played a critical role in the implementation of the 
Violence Against Women provisions of the 1994 Crime Act. Now in private 
practice, Bonnie continues to serve as a role model for women. On a 
personal level, Bonnie is a good friend of mine and I congratulate her 
on this well-deserved recognition.
  Sue Ellen Follon's impact on women's issues was once described in the 
Des Moines Register this way: ``You may never have heard her name, but 
there's a good chance she has touched your life.'' A Volga native, 
Follon served as the executive director of the Iowa Commission on the 
Status of Women from 1976 to 1984. Throughout her service, Follon 
worked to expand the Commission's influence and scope, to strengthen 
rape and sexual abuse laws, and help public hearings on domestic abuse, 
displaced homemakers and the feminization of poverty. In fact, her 
efforts helped to make Iowa the first State in the Nation to 
legislatively address gender inequities in many facets of life. Follon 
went on to become the first woman to serve as Vice President at the 
University of Iowa. Throughout her career, she made over 150 
presentations from the local to the international level on the subjects 
of women's equality, leadership, higher education and mentors for women 
and minorities. Born in 1942, Follon died on November 4, 1998, the day 
after voters passed the equal rights amendment to the Iowa 
Constitution.
  Alice Yost Jordan is internationally known as one of the most 
distinguished and published American composers. A Des Moines resident, 
Jordan is best known for her choral and organ works numbering over 200, 
which have sold over 250,000 copies. Her recital song, Take Joy Home, 
commissioned by Sherrill Milnes of the Metropolitan Opera and pianist 
Jon Spong, received world-wide exposure on concert tours and was 
performed at a White House State Dinner in 1983. Her arrangement of 
America the Beautiful, commissioned by the Iowa High School Music 
Association for the All-State Chorus and Orchestra, opens the All-State 
Festival Concert biennially. She has composed another 40 works that 
were commissioned by churches, universities and organizations across 
the Nation. Born in Davenport in 1916, she graduated from Drake 
University, where she studied composition for her undergraduate and 
graduate studies with the late Dr. Francis J. Pyle and received an 
Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters from Grand View College.
  Shirley Ruedy of Cedar Rapids is a nationally recognized journalist, 
speaker and cancer survivor. Twice diagnosed with breast cancer, Ruedy 
launched a biweekly ``Cancer Update'' column that the Cedar Rapids 
Gazette began publishing in 1991. The column focused on her own 
experiences as well as providing the latest expert information on 
cancer treatment and prevention to her readers. ``Cancer Update'' is

[[Page S8917]]

now carried in a publication from the Mayo Clinic Women's Cancer 
Program. Each October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 
Ruedy runs a column she co-wrote with a surgeon about the life journey 
of a breast cancer cell. Through her writing and speaking, Shirley 
Ruedy serves as a role model of courage and positive advocate for all 
of those who have been diagnosed with cancer.
  These women have aspired to high standards in their career fields and 
in serving their community. They also serve as an inspiration to young 
Iowans who can look to them for direction and leadership. I applaud the 
Iowa Commission on the Status of Women for recognizing their 
outstanding contributions. They are strong role models for all of us 
and deserve the highest praise. And they are some of the many special 
people who make Iowa such a great place to call home.

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