[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 101 (Thursday, June 21, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S8228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO WARNE NUNN

 Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, one of the privileges of 
representing Oregon in the U.S. Senate is having the honor of serving 
in the seat held for 30 years by Mark Hatfield. During his nearly half 
century of service to the people of Oregon as a State Representative, 
State Senator, Secretary of State, Governor, and U.S. Senator, Mark 
Hatfield earned a reputation for honesty and integrity. He also earned 
a reputation for having an outstanding staff--staff who often went on 
to outstanding careers in public service in their own right.
  I rise today to pay tribute to one of the most distinguished of the 
``Hatfield Alumni,'' Warne Nunn, who passed away earlier this week in 
Oregon at the age of 86. Warne Nunn served as chief of staff to Mark 
Hatfield during his 8 years as Oregon's Governor, and when Oregonians 
sent Mark Hatfield to the U.S. Senate in 1966, Warne Nunn came east to 
help open up the Senate office.
  Mr. Nunn's heart, however, was in his beloved Oregon, and he soon 
returned home, where he was to make numerous positive contributions for 
four more decades. As a long-time executive with Pacific Power and 
Light, Warne Nunn was a respected leader in Oregon's business 
community. It was, however, through his philanthropic leadership where 
Warne Nunn left a legacy that should inspire us all.
  As a long-time member and chairman of the Willamette University Board 
of Trustees, Warne Nunn was a passionate advocate for quality 
education. His commitment to education could also be seen in the 
leadership he provided as a long-time trustee of the Meyer Memorial 
Trust, one of the largest and most generous philanthropies in the 
Pacific Northwest. During its 25-year history--throughout which Warne 
Nunn has served as a trustee or trustee emeritus--Meyer Memorial Trust 
has donated nearly $420 million to countless worthy causes.
  Senator Hatfield once told me of a journey he made to the Calcutta 
slums with Mother Teresa. During that journey, Senator Hatfield asked 
Mother Teresa how she could go on day after day, knowing that for every 
life she touched, there were thousands of lost souls she would never 
reach. She responded by saying: ``God does not call us to be 
successful. He calls us to be faithful.''
  There can be no doubt that Warne Nunn lived a successful life. But 
his family and friends will tell you that more important to Warne was 
the fact that he lived a faithful life. He was a faithful husband, 
father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a faithful friend. 
He was a faithful businessman, public servant, and philanthropic 
leader. Above all, he was a faithful servant of God. I join many fellow 
Oregonians in paying tribute to the life and legacy of Warne Nunn, and 
in extending my sincere condolences to his wife Delores and his entire 
family.

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