[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 163 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S13436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING CAROLE HILLARD

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize the passing of 
Carole Hillard, former Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota. Carole 
Hillard was a gracious woman with an authentic and deeply held passion 
for public service.
  Ms. Hillard was born August 14, 1936, in Deadwood, SD. She attended 
the University of Arizona and received a degree in education in 1957. 
She received a master's degree in education from South Dakota State 
University in 1982 and a master's degree in political science from the 
University of South Dakota in 1984.
  As the mother of five children, David, Sue Ellen, Todd, Eddie, and 
Lornell, she possessed the practical knowledge to connect with the 
needs of South Dakotans as she served on the South Dakota Board of 
Charities and Corrections, the Rapid City United Way Campaign, the 
South Dakota Children's Home Society, and as the first woman president 
of the Rapid City Council.
  She was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1991 
and served until 1994, at which point she became the first female 
Lieutenant Governor in South Dakota. From 1995 until 2003, Ms. Hillard 
graciously presided over the Senate and memorably seemed initially 
surprised when State Senators on the Senate floor formally referred to 
her as ``Madam President.'' Her career in public service and the impact 
she had did not go unnoticed, as she won many awards in her lifetime, 
including the 1987 Public Service Award, the 1988 Governor's 
Outstanding Citizen Award, the 1993 South Dakota Outstanding Women 
Award, and induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2007.
  Not only has she accomplished much for the State of South Dakota but 
she has also accomplished much on the international level. In recent 
years, Carole Hillard was an international consultant traveling on 
behalf of the U.S. Department of State. Ms. Hillard completed 
assignments to 67 countries such as Panama, the Czech Republic, San 
Salvador, Bosnia, and Africa. Recently, she also helped bring to life a 
skill-building workshop for residents of Kabul, Afghanistan, and 
supervised the January 2007 elections in the West Bank.
  Carole Hillard's life accomplishments are truly remarkable. Her 
positive outlook on life, her integrity, and her warm personality truly 
embodied a woman whose passion was the betterment of humankind. While 
Ms. Hillard is no longer with us, her legacy of service to the people 
of South Dakota and her diligent work on the promotion of democracy and 
economic development will not be forgotten.




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