[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN GILBERT GUDE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
life of former Congressman Gilbert Gude and to reflect on his 
remarkable public career. Gil Gude was a man of great civic vision who 
served his community with great passion and dedication. He served in 
this body with great distinction from 1967-77, representing Maryland's 
Eighth Congressional District, which I am now honored to represent.
  Gil Gude led a remarkable life. He grew up on a farm near Rockville, 
Maryland, where he developed a deep love of nature. He answered his 
country's call to duty in 1943, joining the Army Medical Corps during 
World War II. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1953-57 
and in the State Senate from 1963-68.
  Elected to Congress in 1966, Gil Gude made his mark as a creative 
legislator whose ideas crossed party lines. He did not accept 
``conservative'' or ``liberal'' labeling but rather worked with great 
personal integrity to do what he believed was right for his Nation. 
Even as a member of the Republican Party, he opposed the Vietnam War, 
called for the impeachment of President Nixon, worked to limit 
cigarette advertisement, and fought to restrict handgun ownership.
  Gude was a devoted environmentalist. He worked to improve air quality 
in the District, save wild horses in the West, and create the C & O 
National Historical Park, among his many other accomplishments. In 1975 
he spent a Congressional recess leading a 400-mile trip down the 
Potomac River in an attempt to give it a national designation.
  Gude resigned from Congress in 1977 after a decade of dedicated and 
compassionate service. However, this did not mark the end of his public 
service. In 1977 he became Director of the Congressional Research 
Service, and worked to establish the CRS as a premier and reliable 
research institution for Members of Congress. He retired from CRS in 
1985.
  Gil Gude spent a great amount of time focusing on his greatest 
passion--the Potomac River. He helped found the Potomac River Basin 
Consortium and took many trips to explore the small communities 
surrounding the river. He wrote two books about the upriver towns and 
viewed these tight-knit communities and the river as sources of immense 
history and cultural importance. He shared his wisdom with others, 
teaching courses at Georgetown University on history and the 
environment.
  Our Nation mourns the passing of Gilbert Gude. He was a model of 
bipartisan cooperation who left a legacy that serves as an inspiration 
for us all.
  To Gil Gude's family, please know that you are in our hearts and 
prayers. We share your grief during this painful time, but are proud to 
celebrate this extraordinary American's life of service and 
accomplishment.

                          ____________________