[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 45 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TRUDY OWENS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2007

  Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, over the 92 years that she lived, my dear 
friend and legendary political activist Trudy Owens witnessed some of 
America's most important watershed moments and milestones. She was a 
political trailblazer, and her accomplishments stand as a reflection of 
the times in which she lived.
  Trudy was born on the eve of woman's suffrage. In the aftermath of 
World War II, she helped organize the Palos Verdes Democratic Club. In 
the 1960's, she witnessed the expansion of civil rights and women's 
liberation while serving as the women's chair of the California 
Democratic Party. An opponent of the Vietnam War, Trudy worked on the 
campaigns of my political mentor, former California Senator John 
Tunney, and on Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. She was a 
delegate to the Democratic convention in Chicago that same year.
  In 2000, as a testament to her long service in Democratic politics, I 
chose Trudy as an Electoral College elector for Al Gore. Few people 
deserved this opportunity more. While the outcome of the election may 
not have been what she had hoped, Trudy still called this the 
culmination of her political life. She traveled to Sacramento, cast her 
vote, and broke her hip.
  Trudy passed away last week, but not before the first female Speaker 
of the House was sworn in. And while she will not be with us during the 
2008 Presidential election, she was no doubt thrilled to know that a 
woman has a genuine chance to become President of the United States.
  Trudy's enthusiasm for politics and the Democratic Party was 
infectious. She was the consummate volunteer. And she naturally 
balanced her political passions with a gentle graciousness towards 
everyone around her.
  Today, I honor her memory, her dedication, and her long, rich life.

                          ____________________