[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 46 (Tuesday, April 25, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO RICHARD L. KOHNSTAMM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the passing of a 
great Oregonian innovator, businessman, and friend. Richard L. 
Kohnstamm passed away last Friday, just days after his 80th birthday.
  Like many Oregonians, Dick arrived in Oregon as a young man eager to 
forge his own future, and build his own adventure. What Dick couldn't 
possibly have known then, was that his future would become a true 
Oregon Legacy.
  In 1955, Dick took over the management of Oregon's Historic 
Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. With his imagination, vision, and 
dedication, Dick transformed the lodge from a neglected public works 
building to an Oregon landmark.
  He started the nation's first summer skiing, started a racing school, 
brought in Olympic Medalists as instructors, and completely revamped 
the lodge, making it a destination for Oregonians and visitors. With 
Dick's leadership, Timberline Lodge was the first ski area in the 
nation to receive the National Historic Landmark designation.
  Dick met his wife Molly, and raised their four sons on the Mountain. 
He was a father figure to hundreds of young employees away from home. 
He was a leader. He was a visionary. He was a pioneer in the best 
Oregon tradition. He was an Oregon Icon.
  I consider myself lucky to have known Dick, and I want to honor him 
for his extraordinary life and his many contributions to Mt. Hood and 
the State of Oregon.

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