[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 126 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S9706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSWOMAN PATSY T. MINK

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on Saturday, September 28, 2002, Hawaii 
lost a beloved and extraordinary daughter, Patsy Takemoto Mink, who 
represented Hawaii in the U.S. House of Representatives for 24 years. I 
extend to her husband, John, and daughter, Wendy, my sincerest 
condolences.
  The passing of Congresswoman Mink is a great loss for our Nation and 
our State, and it is a personal loss for me. She was an honorable 
colleague and a dear friend throughout our political careers.
  I was privileged to work with Patsy in 1956, when we were both 
members of the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives. She was the 
first Asian-American woman elected to the Hawaii Legislature. In the 
1960s, we both gave speeches at Democratic National Conventions. She 
was Chairwoman of the Honolulu City Council. In 1964, she joined me as 
a member of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation when she became the first 
Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. For 
24 years, she was an integral part of the Hawaii Delegation. I 
appreciated her honesty, I respected her thoughts, and I admired her 
resolve.
  Throughout her public service, Patsy concerned herself with making 
our country a better place for all people. She will be remembered for 
her powerful and passionate voice as she championed causes for women, 
children, the elderly, and the needy. For those who were vulnerable or 
mistreated, she was their able and loyal defender.
  Born Patsy Takemoto in a plantation community in Paia, Maui, on 
December 6, 1927, Patsy had the intelligence and work ethic to succeed 
in any profession. However, medical school eluded her and the legal 
community did not embrace her after she received her law degree from 
the University of Chicago in 1951. The reason she was rejected by 
medical schools and legal circles? Her race and her gender.
  Rather than accept defeat, the strong-willed Patsy set out to 
eliminate the societal barriers of the day, and ran for office in the 
U.S. House of Representatives, which at that time was comprised of 
mostly white and mostly males members. She won the election and went on 
to pave the way for new generations of women to more fully enjoy their 
rights as citizens of a great nation.
  Patsy co-authored and spearheaded the difficult passage of Title IX 
of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination in 
educational opportunities based on gender at institutions receiving 
federal funds. It opened academic opportunities for women, and 
revolutionized the world of sports. Since the passage of this landmark 
legislation, participation by girls in high school athletics nationwide 
has increased nearly tenfold, and college participation has grown 
almost five times. College scholarships awarded to women in 2002 were 
worth $180 million. Title IX serves as the foundation of the careers of 
today's top professional U.S. female athletes. The U.S. women soccer 
team's 1999 World Cup triumph, U.S. women's domination of Olympic 
sports, and the birth of the women's professional National Basketball 
Association are rooted in Title IX.
  To fully appreciate the significance of Title IX, compare women's 
sports in 1972 to today as reported by the Honolulu Advertiser. In 
1972, the only woman with an athletic scholarship at the University of 
Hawaii was a drum majorette. Of UH's $1 million athletic budget, $5,000 
was given to women's club sports. Today, UH spends $4 million annually 
on 11 women's teams.
  Patsy's reputation as a relentless and formidable lawmaker extends 
beyond the passage of Title IX. She advocated for civil rights, peace, 
education, health care, and the environment with equal eloquence and 
effectiveness.
  I last spoke with my friend, Patsy, in August at a fund-raising event 
in Hawaii. She mingled and talked with constituents with her trademark 
vim and vigor. Her deep love for her constituents and her nation was 
evident. She was focused on the future and continuing her service to 
the people of Hawaii.
  Patsy answered the call to public service to the end, and her work 
immeasurably improved America's landscape for the under-represented and 
down-trodden for whom she had so much compassion. As my colleagues and 
I continue our work, we will long be able to look to Mrs. Patsy Mink's 
life of service for inspiration and hope.

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