[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 17 (Monday, February 4, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN W. McCARTER

  Mr. SANDERS. I ask unanimous consent that the Rules Committee be 
discharged from further consideration of S.J. Res. 25 and the Senate 
proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the joint resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) providing for the 
     appointment of John W. McCarter as a citizen regent of the 
     Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I rise to support the appointment of 
John W. McCarter, Jr., to serve on the Smithsonian Institution's Board 
of Regents.
  The Board of Regents is vested with authorities typically given to 
boards of trustees of not-for-profit and educational institutions 
throughout the United States. The Board considers a variety of issues 
related to the Smithsonian Institution, including budgets, planning 
documents, proposed programs and construction, appointments to 
Smithsonian advisory boards, and legislative initiatives. Given the 
variety and importance of the Board's responsibilities in managing the 
tone of America's most cherished cultural institutions, members of the 
Board of Regents serve a critical leadership role for the Smithsonian 
Institution.
  That is why I am pleased to support John McCarter's appointment. He 
currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the Field 
Museum, one of the greatest cultural attractions in Chicago. The Field 
Museum attracts over 1 million visitors each year. The museum was 
originally founded to house the biological and anthropological 
collections assembled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The 
original collection has been expanded to include some 20 million 
specimens, due in part to its continued worldwide expeditions and 
associated research.
  Under John McCarter's leadership, the Field Museum has undertaken a 
series of projects to rebuild and restore the museum. Research 
activities have expanded along with the physical structure--the Field 
Museum is an international leader in evolutionary biology and 
paleontology in addition to archaeology and ethnography.
  Before he joined the Field Museum in 1996, John McCarter was with 
Booz Allen & Hamilton as a senior vice president and was president of 
the DeKalb Corporation. He has also worked in government, serving as 
budget director for the State of Illinois in 1969 and as a White House 
Fellow during the LBJ administration.
  John McCarter brought this diverse work experience to the not-for-
profit museum he now leads. During his tenure at the Field Museum, John 
has created several new permanent and traveling exhibits, including the 
``Evolving Plant'' exhibit in March 2006, the exhibit of Sue, the T. 
rex, in 2000, and the ``Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the 
Pharaohs'' exhibit in 2006. These exhibits drew huge crowds to the 
Field Museum, expanding the reach of the museum's rich cultural 
experiences to new and diverse audiences. John's leadership has led to 
a new emphasis on developing museum exhibits that tell stories. This 
approach attracts more visitors and better educates those who are drawn 
in. The museum has also formalized its educational role in the 
community, establishing partnerships with science teachers in the 
community and organizing activities for inner-city schools.
  It is my honor to support the appointment of John McCarter. His 
extensive experience in the government, private, and nonprofit sectors 
make him a great addition to the Smithsonian Institution's Board of 
Regents.
  Mr. SANDERS. I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be 
read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 25

       Resolved by the Senate and House, of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in 
     accordance with section 5581 of the Revised Statutes (20 
     U.S.C. 43), the vacancy on the Board of Regents of the 
     Smithsonian Institution, in the class other than Members of 
     Congress, occurring because of the expiration of the term of 
     Walter E. Massey of Georgia, is filled by the appointment of 
     John W. McCarter of Illinois, for a term of 6 years, 
     effective on the date of the enactment of this resolution.

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