[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3626-S3628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CHRISTINE SARBANES

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise to pay tribute to the spouse of 
one of our colleagues. The entire Senate has now been notified that 
Mrs. Christine Sarbanes, the beloved wife of Senator Sarbanes, has 
passed away. I come to the floor with a heavy heart and with fond 
memories of, indeed, a remarkable person.
  Christine Sarbanes was quite a woman in her own right. She was a 
woman of keen intellect, warm heart, and a compassion for the underdog. 
She was a woman who was a force in her own very quiet, understated way. 
If you really liked and admired Paul Sarbanes, which all of Maryland 
did, you also really loved Christine Sarbanes. Senator Sarbanes often 
joked that whenever he would come to an event, they would say: Where is 
Chris? Or they would say: Where is Christine? She often represented him 
in and around our State.
  She had a unique way of talking that brought immeasurable commonsense 
and practicality but yet a connection to people and their day-to-day 
needs.

[[Page S3627]]

  Theirs was a remarkable relationship that I had the good fortune of 
observing. I have known the Sarbanes family for more than 30 years. I 
met the young Paul Sarbanes, a spirited reformer, in Baltimore during 
the 1960s. Baltimore was dominated by political bosses. There were 
those of us who were bringing a new day, change that one could believe 
in. We reformers were running for local offices and challenging the 
machine. The local press nicknamed us the ``shiny brights'' because we 
saw ourselves as a new force.
  Paul Sarbanes was the first to beat the machine, running for the 
House of Delegates and then for Congress. When he ran for the Senate, I 
filled the House seat held by Senator Sarbanes. It was the remarkable 
third congressional seat. That seat was held by Paul Sarbanes, then by 
me, then by Ben Cardin, and now by John Sarbanes.
  One of the joys of Christine's life was to see John take the oath of 
office and to take the seat in the House of Representatives that his 
father held.
  This was a remarkable couple, as you saw them doing good and having a 
strong presence in our community. They were really made for each other. 
These were people who really believed in the life of the intellect, but 
the life of the intellect lived in the community. They met at Oxford. 
Christine, like Paul, shared a very modest background. Her dad was an 
electrician; her mother was a waitress. She was a scholarship girl, as 
they said in those days, to some of the private schools in England that 
then took her to a scholarship at Oxford where she won both a 
bachelor's degree and a master's degree.
  The Baltimore Sun has a wonderful article about Mrs. Sarbanes, which 
I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Baltimore Sun, Mar. 24, 2009]

                           Christine Sarbanes

                      (By Frederick N. Rasmussen)

       Christine D. Sarbanes, a retired educator, active board 
     member and wife of former Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, died Sunday 
     of cancer at her Guilford home. She was 73.
       ``Her life and legacy as a teacher and community servant 
     touched thousands of Mary-landers and reminds us all that a 
     life lived for others is the greatest of gifts,'' Gov. Martin 
     O'Malley said in a statement Monday. ``She believed in the 
     dignity of every individual, and that every person has 
     potential that we, as a community, can unlock through 
     literacy and access to higher learning.''
       Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin said in a statement that Mrs. 
     Sarbanes' death is a ``tremendous loss to all those who knew 
     her'' and that she had ``enormous grace and presence.''
       He added: ``She was extremely likable'' and ``had an 
     ability to relate to people and make them feel good.''
       Christine Dunbar was born in London and raised in Brighton, 
     England, the daughter of an electrician and a waitress. After 
     winning a scholarship, she attended Brighton and Hove High 
     School for Girls.
       She later earned a bachelor's degree in Literae Humaniores 
     from St. Hugh's College, Oxford University, in 1958, and a 
     master's degree, also from Oxford, in 1974.
       It was political activism that brought her and her future 
     husband together, when both were attending Oxford in the late 
     1950s. He was a Rhodes scholar.
       ``She came to a meeting of the American Association I 
     headed. I forget what was on the agenda. All I remember of 
     that meeting was that was where I met Christine,'' Mr 
     Sarbanes told The Sun in a 1987 interview. ``She was involved 
     in trying to get women into the [all-male] Oxford Union, a 
     debating society. I became very interested in that and 
     invited her to tea to talk about it.''
       Mrs. Sarbanes said in the interview ``People thought it was 
     strange that an American would be so interested in this.''
       After graduation, she began teaching Latin at Dana Hall 
     School for Girls in Wellesley, Mass.
       After marrying in 1960, Mrs. Sarbanes became a lecturer in 
     classics at Goucher College.
       In 1974, she left Goucher. After a four year break, she 
     returned to teaching in 1978, joining the Gilman School 
     faculty, where she continued teaching Latin, Greek and French 
     until retiring in 2000.
       Lillian Burgunder, who taught Spanish and art history at 
     Gilman, was a longtime colleague and friend.
       ``She was a wonderful teacher, and her knowledge of Latin, 
     Greek and ancient civilization was remarkable. She was very 
     intelligent and enthusiastic, and she brought that into the 
     classroom,'' Mrs. Burgunder said.
       ``She was dedicated to making her kids understand, and it 
     was common to see a child in her office she was helping 
     because she wanted to make sure they understood the 
     material,'' she said.
       Nick Schloeder, a former Gilman teacher and coach, who had 
     been an adviser to Mr. Sarbanes for 40 years, was also a 
     colleague of Mrs. Sarbanes.
       ``I have a rather loud voice, and Christine had the 
     classroom next to mine. I would hear a tap on the door, and 
     Christine would say, `Mr Schloeder, I'm teaching a Latin 
     class, and you're going to have to lower your voice or get 
     some new stories,' '' he said, laughing.
       ``There was a great intellectual compatibility between 
     Christine and Paul. Both were very smart, well-educated, and 
     both loved politics,'' he said.
       ``She was not just a candidate's wife but a member of the 
     inner circle. She was very much a part of Paul's inner 
     circle,'' Mr Schloeder said. ``She was good politically and 
     not afraid to express herself. She had a great political mind 
     and really understood politics.''
       Mr. Schloeder recalled that the two were inseparable and 
     determined campaigners.
       ``When Paul ran for the House of Delegates in 1966, and 
     Congress four years later, the two worked the bus stops and 
     would knock on 500 doors in an afternoon,'' he said. ``And 
     they would do that day after day. I can't imagine them any 
     other way than as a couple.''
       In addition to having a full-time job as a teacher, raising 
     her three children, and assisting her husband in his 
     political life, Mrs. Sarbanes found time to be an active 
     board member.
       As child growing up in England during World War II, Mrs. 
     Sarbanes developed a life-long love of books, libraries and 
     librarians.
       ``There weren't a lot of books in her home, and I think she 
     read every book in the library in Brighton,'' said her son 
     Michael A. Sarbanes of Baltimore.
       For the past decade, Mrs. Sarbanes had been a member of the 
     board of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
       ``I do not know of anyone who worked as hard for the 
     libraries of our city. Her commitment and dedication was 
     important to the recent opening of the first two new 
     libraries in Baltimore in over 30 years,'' Mayor Sheila Dixon 
     said in a statement Monday.
       ``To Christine, libraries were a sanctuary and a place of 
     enlightenment and a place that could change people's lives'' 
     said Dr. Carla D. Hayden, executive director of the Pratt.
       ``She wasn't just a board member but an active board member 
     who headed many committees, including community services. So 
     much of the community outreach programs are because of her,'' 
     she said.
       She said the news of Mrs. Sarbanes' death hit her staff 
     ``particularly hard.''
       ``She was a very warm person, and she mixed that warmth 
     with a practical mind. She was a steady force for us, and 
     everyone knew they could count on Christine,'' Dr. Hayden 
     said.
       She served on the Walters Art Museum board in the 1980s and 
     continued to lend her expertise and time to several 
     committees.
       Dr. Gary Vikan, Walters director, recalled a conversation 
     with Mrs. Sarbanes after her return from Dublin, Ireland, 
     when she casually mentioned that museums there didn't charge 
     for admission.
       ``That conversation took place in October 2005, and the 
     next October, we dropped our entrance fee,'' Dr. Vikan said 
     with a laugh.
       For more than. 20 years, as a member of the Baltimore 
     Volunteer Group to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Mrs. Sarbanes 
     delivered hundreds of presentations and organized fundraisers 
     for the organization statewide.
       She was an ``eloquent representative of the highest caliber 
     of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF,'' wrote William Van Pelt, who 
     manages the organization's Office of Public Policy and 
     Advocacy in Washington, in a recommendation for an award 
     several years ago.
       ``Her interest was educating area children to the wider 
     world and culture of the world's neediest children,'' said 
     Mary Jo Marvin, a member of the Baltimore group. ``We called 
     Christine `the Whirlwind' because of her boundless energy and 
     torrent of ideas. She was an inspiration to all of us.''
       Mrs. Sarbanes was a longtime communicant of the Episcopal 
     Cathedral of the Incarnation. A memorial service will be held 
     at 5 p.m. April 3 at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 
     Cathedral St.
       Also surviving are another son, Rep. John P. Sarbanes of 
     Riderwood; a daughter, Janet M. Sarbanes of Los Angeles; and 
     six grandchildren.

  Ms. MIKULSKI. It tells the story. Senator Sarbanes has told this 
story as well. He went to a meeting of the American Association, where 
he met a young British woman who was interested in getting women in the 
Oxford debating union. Women were excluded from the Oxford debating 
union. He saw Christine. He saw her charm, her charisma, her passion, 
her advocacy for women when it was just coming to the fore. Suddenly, 
Paul Sarbanes became an impassioned supporter of getting women in the 
Oxford Union. He was an equally unabashed supporter of getting women in 
the Senate, which helped me become the first Democratic woman here.
  That was the Sarbaneses. They met there. They met on a cause. The 
cause began their love for each other and their love of this country 
and the love of making this country a better place.

[[Page S3628]]

  We all know Senator Sarbanes's remarkable career in the Senate, a man 
we all admired for his honesty, his integrity, his honor, and his 
ability to get the job done. Maryland loved him by reelecting him on 
several occasions, often being the highest vote getter. Christine came 
back and helped Paul with his career. She also continued her work in 
our community.
  Mrs. Sarbanes was a gifted teacher, a spirited volunteer, and a civic 
leader, while she was raising a family of four remarkable children: 
three young men and a wonderful young woman who has a doctorate in 
literature and is in California. She also was an avid civic volunteer. 
Her great passion was books. She believed books would change lives. 
Books changed her life. They helped her win a scholarship, they got her 
to Oxford, and this would continue.
  For her, the world of books was so important, one of her advocacy 
areas was libraries. If you ever wanted to meet someone who believed in 
the power and the empowerment of libraries, it was Christine Sarbanes 
because she believed ideas belong to everybody. Books should be 
available to everybody. There should be a public institution that no 
matter who you are, no matter what your economic background, no matter 
what Zip Code you were born in, you could have access to the great 
books of our world. That is why she devoted herself to that and was on 
the board of the Enoch Pratt Library.
  She did a fantastic job there. In fact, her memorial service will be 
held at the Enoch Pratt Library in a few days.
  In her work, she also was a teacher. She taught at Goucher College. 
She taught at one of the more prominent prep schools, and she taught 
the classics. But in teaching the classics, we should all note that 
Mrs. Sarbanes was, indeed, a very classy lady.
  When we think about her, we will always remember her, again, for 
being able to light up a room while she worked so hard to light up the 
lives of others. She will be greatly missed by all of us.
  As all of you know, Senator Sarbanes and I shared a very special 
relationship in the Senate, but that relationship was also shared in 
the Maryland community with Mrs. Sarbanes. Mrs. Sarbanes was there for 
everybody, and everybody in Maryland mourns for her.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, when I came to the Senate in 1977, Paul 
Sarbanes was a colleague who came with me. There is no doubt that this 
was one of the true sages of the Senate. He was a great man, a brave 
man, with a tremendous ability, who served with distinction in this 
body. One of the reasons Paul was so successful in life, not that he 
couldn't have done it alone, but I think he couldn't have done it as 
well had it not been for the beautiful and wonderful wife he had. She 
was a tremendous human being.
  I am very moved by her death. All of us feel grief and concern for 
Senator Sarbanes. Theirs was a close relationship, one that was 
exemplary to all of us. She was a great supporter of his as he served 
in the Senate.
  I used to kid Paul all the time: Paul, when are you going to smile? 
When are you going to laugh? He was always so serious. I used to dig 
him all the time about that. He would get a wry grin on his face. He 
knew what I was talking about. But he was serious, and so was his wife. 
She was a great human being.
  I personally express my condolences to Paul and his family because I 
know how close they were. I know how much she meant to him and vice 
versa.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, one of the real honors of serving in the 
Senate is meeting some extraordinary people. I was asked several years 
ago: Of all the Senators with whom you serve, can you name one you look 
up to time and again? At the time, I said it was Paul Sarbanes of 
Maryland. I liked Paul so much and respected him so much. He made such 
a contribution, not just for his State of Maryland but for the Nation 
during his time of public service.
  My good fortune was not only to get to know Paul but also to meet and 
get to know his wife Christine. What an extraordinary woman. She was a 
gifted, thoughtful, articulate person whose background and interest was 
in the classics. She would lose me in a hurry when we got into a 
conversation, as we did once or twice, about her area of interest.
  I can recall traveling once from London Heathrow back to the United 
States, picking up a book along the way that was titled ``Rubicon,'' a 
story on the Roman Empire. I sent it to her, as if she needed my advice 
or background in that subject. She wrote me the nicest note afterwards 
thanking me for it.
  She was a real lady and a great complement to Paul. The two of them 
worked so well together representing the State of Maryland and showing 
what a couple could do together working in public service.
  I was so saddened to learn yesterday that Christine passed away. She 
was such a fine person. I wanted to add my voice on the Senate floor in 
sympathy for the Sarbanes family and so many people across the State of 
Maryland who came to know and respect her over the years.

                          ____________________