[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ERNIE HARTUNG, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO'S TWELFTH PRESIDENT

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, today I pay my respects to Ernie 
Hartung, the 12th president of the University of Idaho, who passed away 
last fall.
  I felt a special kinship to President Hartung for two reasons. The 
first was that we both came to the university as freshmen in 1965. He 
as a freshman president and I as a freshman student. As he often said, 
he considered himself to be a member of the class of 1969 because of 
that freshman connection.
  The second reason for our special kinship was that I served as 
student body president in 1968-69 and had a close working relationship 
with President Hartung. He was a tireless advocate for student 
involvement, and the students responded by becoming strong, vocal 
supporters of President Hartung.
  It is unlikely that any University of Idaho president ever generated 
the degree of grassroots student support that Ernie Hartung did. The 
best indication of this came on March 17, 1969. The university was 
facing a number of serious issues, and President Hartung had been 
publicly criticized by the Governor. In response, 4,500 students showed 
up at a campus rally on a cold, rainy night to voice their support for 
their university president. It was a remarkable showing of support for 
an extraordinary leader.
  Ernie Hartung had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of 
Idahoans. On April 24th, 2004, the University of Idaho will be honoring 
this leader and his contributions. I appreciate my colleagues joining 
me today while I acknowledge all that President Hartung did, not only 
for me but for thousands of other University of Idaho alumni and 
Idahoans. While we miss him sorely, it is comforting to know that Idaho 
is a better place because of Ernie Hartung.

                          ____________________