[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2176-E2177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN MEMORY OF ANNE D'HARNONCOURT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 29, 2008

  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Anne 
d'Harnoncourt for her contributions as an internationally esteemed 
museum leader and art scholar.
   When Anne d'Harnoncourt passed away on June 1, 2008, Philadelphia 
and the world lost a highly accomplished professional and dear friend. 
As a graduate of Radcliffe College and the Courtauld Institute of Art 
in London, she began her illustrious career at the Philadelphia Museum 
of Art in 1967.
   Anne d'Harnoncourt was dedicated to the city of Philadelphia, and as 
the director and chief executive officer of the Museum of Art

[[Page E2177]]

she worked tirelessly to preserve and enrich the art and culture of our 
city for nearly two decades.
   In 1982, Anne d'Harnoncourt was named the director of the 
Philadelphia Museum of Art and her intellect and her unique abilities 
lead to her becoming the chief executive officer in 1997. She was 
widely respected for her ability to connect the work of the museum with 
the broader public, and she presided over many successful efforts to 
engage diverse audiences at the museum.
   She directed numerous successful touring exhibitions, and led major 
capital campaigns to enable the expansion and renovation of the 
Philadelphia Museum of Art, ensuring the museum's rightful place in the 
arts and cultural community of the Greater Philadelphia region and its 
place as one of the most esteemed arts institutions in the world.
   Anne d'Harnoncourt's long-lasting and positive impact will continue 
to be felt in the arts community well beyond Philadelphia and the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She served as a citizen member of the 
Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution and she was 
consistently recognized by her peers around the world for her 
meaningful, insightful, and intellectual contributions to her field 
through her numerous scholarly articles, books, and retrospectives on 
modern art and artists.
   Had we not lost this devoted leader this past June, the 
international art community and the city of Philadelphia would have 
joined with Anne's family, including her husband Joseph J. Rishel, 
earlier this month to celebrate her 65th birthday.
   Anne d'Harnoncourt will be sorely missed by all who knew her and her 
esteemed work.

                          ____________________