[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 82 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S6415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO PHILIP MERRILL

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to the life 
and legacy of Philip Merrill--journalist, diplomat, philanthropist, 
patriot--and friend.
  Phil Merrill was an original. Yet his life story was the American 
dream. He was born in a row house in Baltimore. Through hard work and 
brilliant business sense, he built a major publishing company--Capital-
Gazette Newspapers. He was a champion for sound environmental 
stewardship. He endowed the School of Journalism at the University of 
Maryland. He served his Nation, and he served his State. And he was 
part of a strong, loving family.
  Phil Merrill ran the oldest continually published newspaper in the 
United States--the Annapolis Capital. Each of his newspapers is known 
for strong local coverage and for strong opinion pages. He endowed the 
Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland--
which trains the next generations of journalists in the skills and 
values that Phil Merrill put into action every day of his life.
  Phil Merrill served three Presidents in important international 
appointments--including Assistant Attorney General of NATO. When he was 
appointed by President Bush to be president of the Export-Import Bank--
I laughed with him, saying ``I thought diplomats were supposed to keep 
us out of wars.'' A dainty diplomat--no. A determined advocate for 
democracy--yes.
  Phil was also a passionate environmentalist. He especially loved the 
Chesapeake Bay. He endowed a ``green'' building for the Chesapeake Bay 
Foundation. This is not just a building where the Bay Foundation does 
its outstanding education and advocacy work; it is a building with a 
design that is environmentally friendly.
  Much has been said of Phil Merrill's feistiness. Well, I happen to 
like feisty people. He stood up for what he believed in. He fought for 
what he felt was right. And he made a difference.
  His partner in life was his wife Eleanor. In publishing, in 
philanthropy, she shared his zest for life and his many passions. I 
know that Ellie Merrill will continue to guide the institutions that 
she and Phil built and supported. She and her family are in my thoughts 
and prayers during this very difficult time.
  Phil Merrill's death is a tragedy. Yet his life was a triumph. I ask 
my colleagues to join me in saluting this extraordinary man.
  I ask that an article from the Annapolis Capital be printed in the 
Record.
  The material follows.

             Philip Merrill, Capital Publisher, Dead at 72

       Philip Merrill, 72, publisher, diplomat and philanthropist, 
     died June 10 after going sailing aboard his 41-foot sailboat 
     Merrilly on the Chesapeake Bay. His body was discovered 
     yesterday in the bay near Poplar Island.
       A longtime resident of Arnold, Phil Merrill combined 
     publishing and public service throughout his career. The 
     Baltimore native received a degree in government in 1955 from 
     Cornell University where he was managing editor of the 
     student newspaper. After serving in the Army, he worked for 
     newspapers in New Jersey until 1961 when he joined the State 
     Department and graduated from Harvard University's management 
     development program.
       In 1968 he returned to journalism when he bought The 
     Evening Capital with several partners. Later he brought in 
     Landmark Communications Inc. as a minority partner and grew 
     the newspaper's circulation from 13,000 to 48,000. Chairman 
     of the board of Capital-Gazette Communications, he also owned 
     Washingtonian magazine and five other newspapers--the 
     Maryland Gazette, the Bowie Blade-News, the Crofton News-
     Crier, the West County Gazette and South County Gazette. He 
     also formerly owned Baltimore magazine.
       During his public service, he took leaves of absences from 
     the publishing business to serve six presidential 
     administrations.
       From 1981 to 1983 he was counselor to the under secretary 
     of defense for policy and from 1990 to 1992 was assistant 
     secretary-general of NATO for defense support in Brussels, 
     Belgium, at the treaty organization headquarters. He also had 
     served on the Department of Defense Policy Board. From 2002 
     until last summer he was chairman and president of the 
     Export-Import Bank of the United States.
       Mr. Merrill represented the U.S. in negotiations on the Law 
     of the Sea Conference, the International Telecommunications 
     Union and various disarmament and exchange agreements with 
     the former Soviet Union. He was a former special assistant to 
     the deputy secretary of state, served as the State 
     Department's senior intelligence analyst for South Asia and 
     worked in the White House on national security affairs.
       He was vice chairman of the Center for Strategic and 
     Budgetary Assessments and the U.S. director of the 
     International Institute of Strategic Studies. He also served 
     on the Department of Defense Policy Board and the Department 
     Business Board. During the Gulf War he was on President 
     George H.W. Bush's Air Power Survey and served on President 
     Reagan's Commission on Cost Control.
       In 1988 the Secretary of Defense awarded him the Medal for 
     Distinguished Service, the department's highest civilian 
     honor.
       Mr. Merrill was chairman of the Capital-Gazette Foundation 
     and the Merrill Family Foundation. He was a trustee of the 
     Aspen Institute, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Johns 
     Hopkins University and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. He was on 
     the board of visitors of the University of Maryland and the 
     boards of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International 
     Studies, the Advanced Physics Laboratories, the American 
     Council of Trustees and Alumni, the Johnson School of 
     Management at Cornell, the University of Maryland Foundation, 
     the Federal City Council, the National Archives Foundation 
     and the World Affairs Council of Washington.
       His board memberships also included those of Cornell, the 
     Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, the Washington 
     Airports Task Force and Genesco.
       A former fellow of the Institute for International Affairs 
     of the University of Chicago, he also was a member of the 
     Council on Foreign Relations, the Chief Executives 
     Organization and the World Presidents' Organization. For many 
     years he was chairman of the White House Fellows Commission 
     regional panels.
       A sailor since age 7, he served in the Merchant Marine to 
     earn money for college. He supported the America's Cup 
     campaigns and the Hospice Cup sailing regatta which raises 
     money for charity.
       He donated $1 million to Cornell for a sailing center, $10 
     million to the University of Maryland School of Journalism, 
     $4 million to the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced 
     International Studies at Johns Hopkins and $7.5 million to 
     the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for its ``green'' headquarters 
     in Annapolis. Since 1988 Capital-Gazette newspapers have 
     awarded $661,000 in academic scholarships to outstanding high 
     school students.
       Mr. Merrill enjoyed his family, snow skiing, sailing and 
     ice cream.
       Surviving are his wife of 45 years, Eleanor Pocius Merrill, 
     who has assumed his publishing duties; his family, Doug and 
     Lisa Merrill of Shelburne, Vt., Cathy and Paul Williams of 
     Washington, D.C., and Nancy Merrill of Arlington, Va.; four 
     grandchildren, Alexander Merrill, 6, Jack Merrill, 4, Wynne 
     Williams, 17 months, and Bryce Williams, two weeks old; and 
     one sister, Suzanne Watson of Chicago, Ill.
       A celebration of life ceremony for family and friends will 
     be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Mellon Auditorium, 1301 
     Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
       In lieu of flowers, the family requests you cherish a 
     memory.




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