[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 152 (Tuesday, October 9, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11331-H11333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
     CELEBRATING 90TH BIRTHDAY OF REV. THEODORE M. HESBURGH, C.S.C.

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 687) celebrating the 90th birthday of 
Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the 
University of Notre Dame, and honoring his contributions to higher 
education, the Catholic Church, and the advancement of the humanitarian 
mission, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 687

       Whereas Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., was born on 
     May 25, 1917, in Syracuse, New York;
       Whereas, on June 24, 1943, Father Hesburgh began his 
     service to the Catholic Church as an ordained priest of the 
     Congregation of Holy Cross;
       Whereas, from 1952 to 1987, Father Hesburgh served as the 
     president of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, 
     Indiana;
       Whereas, throughout his tenure as president of the 
     University of Notre Dame, Father Hesburgh sought to redefine 
     the contemporary Catholic university as a place where both 
     the moral and intellectual dimensions of scholarly inquiry 
     are vigorously pursued;
       Whereas, under his leadership, in 1972 the University of 
     Notre Dame became a coeducational institution;
       Whereas Father Hesburgh has held 16 presidential 
     appointments under 9 administrations;
       Whereas, throughout his life, Father Hesburgh has been a 
     champion of civil rights, tirelessly seeking the peaceful 
     resolution of international conflicts and encouraging a 
     profound respect for all humanity;
       Whereas, in pursuit of those objectives, Father Hesburgh 
     has served on numerous boards and commissions, including 
     terms as chair of the Overseas Development Council, chair of 
     the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy, a 
     member of President Ford's Presidential Clemency Board, and a 
     representative of the Vatican at the International Atomic 
     Energy Agency in Vienna;
       Whereas Father Hesburgh was a founding member of the United 
     States Commission on Civil Rights and served as chair of the 
     commission from 1969 to 1972;
       Whereas, through his global humanitarian efforts, Father 
     Hesburgh was a catalyst for the creation of the Center of 
     Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame Law 
     School and contributed to the establishment of the Kellogg 
     Institute for International Studies and the Kroc Institute 
     for International Peace Studies on the University of Notre 
     Dame campus;
       Whereas Father Hesburgh has been a persistent advocate for 
     the responsible stewardship of atomic energy, and has united 
     internationally renowned scientists, scholars, and spiritual 
     leaders to promote policies that reduce the likelihood of 
     nuclear conflict;
       Whereas Father Hesburgh served as ambassador to the 1979 
     United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for 
     Development, the first Catholic priest to perform a formal 
     diplomatic role for the United States Government;
       Whereas, in 2000, Father Hesburgh became the first person 
     in higher education to be awarded the Congressional Gold 
     Medal;
       Whereas Father Hesburgh has been awarded the Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, as 
     well as numerous awards from education groups, including the 
     Alexander Meiklejohn Award from the American Association of 
     University Professors, the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award from the 
     National Catholic Education Association, and 150 honorary 
     degrees, the most ever awarded to a single individual;
       Whereas, on May 25, 2007, Father Hesburgh celebrated his 
     90th birthday; and
       Whereas Father Hesburgh has led a life of distinguished 
     public service and deep faith: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes 
     Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., for his contributions 
     to the United States civil rights movement, his tireless work 
     to prevent nuclear conflict around the world, and his efforts 
     to secure the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly).
  Mr. DONNELLY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this 
resolution honoring Father Ted Hesburgh, a man who has made significant 
contributions to the lives of many Americans, and a man who, as the 
president emeritus of my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, has 
had a profound impact on my own life.
  I introduced H. Res. 687 on September 27 along with 103 original 
cosponsors. I am pleased to stand here today with my colleagues to 
express Congress's strong appreciation for a selfless giant whose great 
work continues even to this day.
  As president of Notre Dame, Father Hesburgh worked to redefine the 
Catholic university as a place for students to learn more about their 
faith, while also engaging in rigorous intellectual debate.
  Under his leadership, Notre Dame opened its door to women for the 
first time in 1972. My wife, Jill, was proud to be a member of that 
first class of women to graduate from the university.
  In addition to his contributions to the Catholic Church and the 
University of Notre Dame, Father Hesburgh has worked tirelessly in 
service to the American people as a champion for social justice and the 
peaceful resolution of conflicts across the globe.

[[Page H11332]]

  He has been a persistent voice for change here at home. He has held 
16 Presidential appointments under nine different administrations, from 
Eisenhower to Clinton. He served as a founding member and later the 
Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights where he fought 
for true equality in America and opposed attempts to use force to break 
up protests on college campuses.
  He has also served on the Select Commission on Immigration and 
Refugee Policy and as a member of President Ford's Presidential 
Clemency Board.
  Madam Speaker, Father Hesburgh has also been a strong advocate for 
international policy reform. He has championed the responsible use of 
nuclear energy, represented the Vatican at the International Atomic 
Energy Agency in Vienna, and formally represented the United States at 
the 1979 U.N. Conference on Science and Technology for Development.
  Father Ted, as he is known around South Bend and Notre Dame, has 
traveled across the globe working to find peaceful resolutions to 
international conflicts. As recently as 1999, when Father Hesburgh was 
82 years old, he conducted a fact-finding tour of refugee camps in 
Kosovo for the United Nations.
  Father Hesburgh has also led efforts to assist the poorest of the 
poor in the developing world, serving as the chairman of the Overseas 
Development Council where he led fund-raising efforts that helped 
prevent mass starvation in Cambodia as a result of the brutal policies 
of the Khmer Rouge.
  In 2000, Father Hesburgh was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He 
was the first person from higher education to ever receive the award. 
He has also been the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 
the Nation's highest civilian honor, along with numerous awards from 
educational institutions, including 150 honorary degrees, the most ever 
awarded to a single individual.
  Madam Speaker, these awards serve as a testament to Father Ted's 
lifelong commitment to humanity and the true national significance of 
his work. But first and foremost, Madam Speaker, Father Ted always 
says, ``I am a priest.''
  Father Hesburgh is a committed educator, a spiritual leader, an 
author, an advocate for peace, and a strong voice for equality and 
opportunity in America. Today, in recognition for all that Rev. 
Theodore Hesburgh has done for this country, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in support of H. Res. 687 to honor the life and contributions 
of a great American.
  Madam Speaker, one thing of great enjoyment to me is that our 
colleague on the other side, my good friend Mark Souder, is also a 
graduate of our university.
  Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague who represents 
the University of Notre Dame. Unfortunately, I only come about 5 miles 
away as we circle around and share Elkhart County. It is great that we 
have six Domers in Congress. My colleague is actually a double Domer, 
which is a great honor.
  Before I go into my remarks, I want to share something I remember 
from campus when I was there. The story on campus was: Do you know the 
difference between God and President Hesburgh? And the answer is: God 
is everywhere; President Hesburgh is everywhere but Notre Dame. And the 
reason was, this is what we are honoring him here for today. He went 
throughout the entire world, not only raising money for Notre Dame, but 
working to serve justice, working to serve various causes around the 
world.
  I rise today in strong support of this resolution by Congressman 
Donnelly to honor Rev. Theodore Hesburgh for his contributions to the 
civil rights movement in America, his tireless work to reduce the 
threat of nuclear conflict, and for seeking peaceful resolution to 
international conflict.
  Father Hesburgh, who served as the president of the University of 
Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987, holds the world record for honorary 
degrees received at more than 150. He has been honored for his 
contributions to education, to athletics, to peace, as well as national 
and international issues.
  He has earned these degrees, these honors, this praise with his 
thoughtful approach to many of the most daunting challenges of our 
time. In the late 1970s, he served on a commission appointed by 
President Carter to study immigration reform. His commission found that 
securing our borders should be the first step toward an immigration 
policy that is thoughtful and beneficial to us and our neighbors. How 
fresh that sounds for a recommendation he issued three decades ago.
  His biography on the Notre Dame University Web site says: ``Justice 
has been the focus of many of his outside involvements.'' He was a 
charter member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, created in 1957; 
and he served as its chairman from 1969 to 1972, when he was replaced 
by President Nixon after criticizing the President's civil rights 
record.
  He has argued that nuclear weapons present ``the greatest moral 
challenge of all time.'' He says nuclear weapons undercut the key just-
war principles of discrimination, avoiding killing innocent civilians, 
and proportionality, using only the force necessary to achieve 
justifiable defense. While not everyone here may agree with these 
views, they are thoughtful, inspired by the will to do and represent 
good and representative of a man who holds peace and goodwill towards 
men as his central tenets.
  The title of his autobiography says it all: ``God, Country, Notre 
Dame.'' Hopefully, those three will never be separated; but if they 
are, he has the order: God, country, and Notre Dame.
  I would like to finish with one personal story. The only time I 
really got to spend with Father Hesburgh, I was head of the executive 
lecture series at the graduate School of Business at Notre Dame. He 
asked us to invite David Rockefeller in. He had served for many years 
on the Chase Manhattan board, and the Rockefellers had never 
contributed to Notre Dame. When we went to the airport, I saw one of 
the things my colleague mentioned, and that he was a priest first. He 
saw he had a few minutes, and so he went and did his prayers right on 
the airport runway. He made sure that every day he met his duties as a 
priest first and foremost.
  My privilege that afternoon, after he spoke to the business school 
and the graduate students, was to accompany David Rockefeller, the 
executive vice president of Chase Manhattan, and Father Hesburgh for 
one simple reason: my job was when President Hesburgh gave me the 
signal, was to get the Vice President away so Father Hesburgh could do 
the close because in his heart this man will go to his grave knowing he 
built the university.
  He took Notre Dame from a good university to a great international 
university, and that means you have to do many different things: one 
was fund-raising, making friends with leaders around the world, then 
making sure that they saw his dream in South Bend, actually Notre Dame, 
Indiana, is a separate town, but that they saw the dream of the Fathers 
of the Holy Cross to build the university there. While they built that 
university, President Hesburgh was really the transition figure that 
took it to the university it is today.
  So we thank him in the international region and for his civil rights 
commitment, and for building the University of Notre Dame into the 
great university it is today.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration 
of H. Res. 687, a resolution amended in committee, which recognizes 
Rev. Ted Hesburgh for his contributions to the civil rights movement in 
America, his tireless work to reduce the threat of nuclear conflict, 
and for seeking the peaceful resolution of international conflict.
  H. Res. 687, has 103 cosponsors, was introduced by Representative Joe 
Donnelly on September 27, 2007. H. Res. 687, was reported from the 
Oversight Committee on October 4, as amended, by voice vote.
  Madam Speaker, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh is president emeritus of the

[[Page H11333]]

University of Notre Dame. He retired from active service as the 15th 
president of the university in 1987. During his 35 years as an 
educator, he oversaw the growth of the university and the admission of 
women to the undergraduate program. Rev. Hesburgh's public service was 
recognized when he received the Congressional Gold Medal in July of 
2000. The leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
gathered in the rotunda of the Capitol as President William Clinton 
presented Rev. Hesburgh with the Congressional Gold Medal. Rev. 
Hesburgh has held 16 Presidential appointments pertaining to many 
social issues.
  Living 90 miles from Notre Dame, it was as if Father Hesburgh was the 
pied piper for Notre Dame University. During his tenure in office, 
young people, especially from throughout the entire Midwest, clamored 
for a spot at Notre Dame. High school students, especially those at 
many of the top Catholic schools throughout the country, their greatest 
hope was to get an opportunity to go to Notre Dame. And so I am pleased 
to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to a man who is difficult 
to describe. Yes, he was an educator. Yes, he was a priest. Yes, he was 
Catholic; but he was so many things until there is no way that you can 
pigeonhole him. You can only say here is a great American who has 
contributed significantly to the development of the world order. And so 
I urge passage of this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 687, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Resolution recognizing 
Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., for his contributions to the 
civil rights movement in the United States, his tireless work to reduce 
the threat of nuclear conflict, and his efforts to secure the peaceful 
resolution of international conflicts.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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