[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E274-E275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO SYLVIA CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 2004

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the extraordinary 
life and accomplishments of a remarkable woman in Colorado. It is both 
fitting and proper that we recognize Sylvia Clark for her impressive 
record of civic leadership and invaluable service.
  Sylvia was a dear friend and a stalwart leader who will be greatly 
missed. She lived her life on the front lines of progress and proved to 
be a powerful force in transforming the landscape of our State. Her 
indomitable spirit sustained her through many challenges and molded a 
life of genuine accomplishment.
  Sylvia was born in St. Anthony, Idaho, and spent a good portion of 
her youth in Honduras where she saw first hand the impact of poverty on 
women and children. She studied nursing at Johns Hopkins University and 
went on to become a registered nurse, a certified nurse midwife, a 
certified obstetrics and gynecology nurse, and earned a master's degree 
in public administration. Sylvia came of age professionally at the time 
women were gaining their rights to forms of birth control previously 
considered illegal. She began an eminent career at Planned Parenthood 
of the Rocky Mountains in 1967 and went on to become executive director 
where she guided the organization through turbulent political times and 
succeeded in building a preeminent reproductive health care agency, 
providing services to

[[Page E275]]

over 100,000 clients through 35 health centers in six States.
  No one has been more courageous and unrelenting in the struggle to 
make sure that every pregnancy is planned, that every child is wanted, 
and that every woman is assured access to reproductive health care. 
Sylvia's life is a testament to the principle that government should 
not interfere in the health choices of women. She was dedicated to the 
proposition that all women should be given the support they need to 
make wise decisions about their families. Despite numerous attempts to 
chip away at reproductive rights and health care services in Colorado, 
Sylvia never faltered and labored tirelessly to ensure that family 
planning practices in our State remain both respectful and voluntary. 
For these efforts, Sylvia was honored by the Religious Coalition for 
Reproductive Choice with the Alex Luken Faith and Freedom Award and the 
Anti-Defamation League's Civil Rights Award.
  We are grateful for Sylvia's leadership in sustaining an ethic of 
family planning in our State and Nation. She was a fervent defender of 
rights that have deep roots in our democracy and our tradition of civil 
liberties. I believe Sylvia's message to us would be that we must be 
ever vigilant and continue the fight for the kind of America which 
respects these rights.
  Sylvia Clark lived a life of meaning and one that is rich in 
consequence. It is the character and deeds of Sylvia Clark, and all 
Americans like her, which distinguish us as a people. Truly, we are all 
diminished by the passing of this remarkable woman. Please join me in 
paying tribute to the life of Sylvia Clark, a distinguished citizen. It 
is the values, leadership, and commitment she exhibited during her life 
that serve to build a better future for all Americans.

                          ____________________