[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7507-S7508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING LIFE, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AL LERNER

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 122, S. Res. 
116.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 116) commemorating the life, 
     achievements, and contributions of Al Lerner.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Alfred Lerner. 
Al, as he was called by those who knew him best, was a man of great 
success and wealth but also great compassion and charity.
  Al was born in New York City, graduated from Columbia College and 
proudly served in the Marine Corps as an officer and pilot from 1955 
through 1957. The son of Russian immigrants, Al Lerner had an amazing 
sense of patriotism and was so proud to accept the Ellis Island Medal 
in honor of his immigrant heritage and individual achievements in 2002.
  My personal relationship with Al developed because of the fondness we 
shared for the city of Cleveland, and Cleveland is a better place 
because of Al Lerner. His generosity was seen in well known ways such 
as his contributions to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, where 
the Lerner Research Institute was founded, and to the Cleveland Clinic. 
In fact, Al Lerner's $100,000,000 contribution to the Cleveland Clinic 
was one of the largest donations to academic medicine in the history of 
the United States. Al gave so much of himself to these institutions, 
serving as president and trustee of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and 
establishing the Lerner Research Institute at the Clinic to conduct 
research of new treatments for cancer, coronary artery disease and 
AIDS.
  Al Lerner also understood how important professional football is to 
the city of Cleveland, and due in large part to his business savvy, 
Lerner and his partner, Carmen Policy, were able to reestablish a 
football team in Cleveland. He was subsequently appointed chairman of 
the National Football League Finance Committee, and I am confident that 
the Cleveland Browns' 2002 playoff appearance, just 4 years after 
returning to the league, had a great deal to do with Al's leadership

[[Page S7508]]

and guidance. I am not sure Cleveland would have its Browns today 
without Al Lerner's dedication and determination.
  Despite his amazing success as the founder, chairman, and chief 
executive of MBNA Corporation, Al Lerner remained grounded. He helped 
raise funds through the company and the Cleveland Browns, for the 
``Cleveland Brown Hero Fund'' to aid families from the New York City 
Fire and Police Departments who suffered the loss of a parent in the 
tragic September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Al also answered 
President Bush's call in the aftermath of September 11, and was a 
member of the President's Foreign Advisory Board.
  Throughout his lifetime, many of Al's other achievements could also 
be observed in quieter ways that were never heralded. His dedication to 
his family was remarkable. He married his high school sweetheart and 
best friend, Norma. They shared 47 glorious years together and raised 
two children, Randy and Nancy. My wife Janet and I talked often about 
how Al and Norma seemed to love each other and genuinely enjoyed each 
other's company. Perhaps the greatest contribution that the two of them 
made was the strong example of a good marriage for their children, 
seven grandchildren, and anyone who know Al and Norma Lerner.
  I am honored to have known and worked with Al Lerner and am confident 
that his legacy will remain an example of hard work, philanthropy, and 
genuine kindness for generations to come.

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 116) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 116), with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 116

       Whereas Alfred Lerner (``Al'' to those who knew him best) 
     was a successful, humble, compassionate, and well respected 
     member of his family and community whose life was devoted to 
     civic involvement and efforts to improve the quality of 
     education and health care available to his fellow citizens;
       Whereas Al Lerner was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933, 
     graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1951, and 
     received a B.A. from Columbia College in 1955;
       Whereas Al Lerner was a Marine Corps officer and pilot from 
     1955 through 1957, displaying his love of country by wearing 
     his Marine Corps cap long after finishing his tour of duty, 
     and later was a director of the Marine Corps Law Enforcement 
     Foundation;
       Whereas Al Lerner was the son of Russian immigrants, and in 
     2002 received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which 
     celebrates immigrant heritage and individual achievements;
       Whereas Al Lerner and his high school sweetheart, best 
     friend, and partner in life, Norma Lerner, shared 47 years of 
     marriage and were deeply committed to their 2 children, Randy 
     and Nancy;
       Whereas Al and Norma Lerner made extremely generous 
     contributions to local and national charities, including a 
     contribution of $10,000,000 in 1993 to Rainbow Babies and 
     Children's Hospital in Cleveland, a donation of $16,000,000 
     to support construction of the Lerner Research Institute, and 
     a donation of $100,000,000 to the Cleveland Clinic--one of 
     the largest donations to academic medicine in the history of 
     the United States;
       Whereas Al Lerner served as president and trustee of the 
     Cleveland Clinic Foundation where the Lerner Research 
     Institute was established to conduct research of new 
     treatments for cancer, coronary artery disease, and AIDS;
       Whereas Al Lerner, along with his business partner Carmen 
     Policy, reestablished a National Football League team in 
     Northern Ohio when he purchased the expansion Cleveland 
     Browns football organization in 1998, worked hard to make the 
     people of Cleveland and Northern Ohio proud of their football 
     team, and was subsequently appointed chairman of the National 
     Football League Finance Committee;
       Whereas the Cleveland Browns, on the strength of Al 
     Lerner's leadership, reached the National Football League 
     playoffs following the 2002 season, only 4 years after 
     returning to the league;
       Whereas Al Lerner served as founder, chairman, and chief 
     executive of MBNA Corporation, which employs thousands of 
     people in Ohio and is the Nation's largest issuer of 
     independent credit cards;
       Whereas Al Lerner served as vice chairman, trustee, and 
     benefactor of Columbia College, which is now known as 
     Columbia University, and also served as a trustee for Case 
     Western Reserve University and New York Presbyterian 
     Hospital;
       Whereas Al Lerner helped raise funds, through his 
     affiliation with MBNA and the Cleveland Browns, for the 
     ``Cleveland Browns Hero Fund'' to aid families from the New 
     York City Fire and Police Departments who suffered the loss 
     of a parent in the tragic September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks;
       Whereas Al Lerner was appointed in 2001 by President Bush 
     as 1 of 15 members of the President's Foreign Intelligence 
     Advisory Board, which advises the President concerning the 
     quality and adequacy of intelligence collection, intelligence 
     analysis and estimates, counter-intelligence, and other 
     intelligence activities;
       Whereas Al Lerner is survived by his wife, partner, and 
     best friend, Norma, their son Randy, their daughter Nancy, 
     and 7 grandchildren; and
       Whereas Al Lerner passed away on October 23, 2002, and the 
     contributions he made to his family, his community, and his 
     Nation will not be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the life, achievements, and contributions of 
     Alfred Lerner; and
       (2) extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Alfred 
     Lerner for the loss of a great and generous man.

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