[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REMEMBERING HARRY KALAS AND CONSTANTINE PAPADAKIS

 Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, the city of Philadelphia lost two of 
its favorite sons recently. We are all saddened by the passing of 
longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas and the loss of 
Drexel University president Constantine Papadakis. It has been a sad 
time in Philadelphia with the loss of these two great pillars of the 
community, and I wish today to honor their memory.
  Harry Kalas was the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies for four 
decades. His signature calls of ``Outta Here'' following a Phillies' 
home run and ``Struck hiimm out'' following a strikeout became fixtures 
on Phillies' broadcasts. Born in Chicago, Harry grew up the son of a 
minster in Naperville, IL. He began his broadcasting career in Hawaii 
and eventually moved to Houston, where he broadcasted Astros games from 
1965 to 1970. The Phillies were the Astros' opponent in his first game 
as a Major League broadcaster.
  Harry signed up as the Phillies play-by-play announcer in 1971. He 
quickly became a popular figure in Philadelphia. Together with Richie 
Ashburn, the Phillies' Hall of Fame outfielder, whom Harry worked with 
from 1971 until Asburn's passing in 1997, the pair formed a memorable 
team built upon what the Philadelphia Inquirer recently described as 
``a special rapport in the broadcast booth that won over the fans' 
hearts.''
  Fans, players, and sports writers have recounted over the past week 
just how deeply Harry was loved. One of the most poignant examples of 
just how beloved Harry was came after the 1980 World Series between the 
Phillies and the Kansas City Royals. Not a lot of people know that 
Harry was not permitted to call the Phillies' World Series victory over 
the Royals due to a Major League Baseball rule in place at the time 
that prevented local broadcasts of World Series games. The outcry from 
fans of baseball everywhere, particularly in Philadelphia, was so 
vociferous that Major League Baseball changed its rules. As a result, 
fans were treated to Harry's call of the Phillies' appearances in the 
1983 and 1993 World Series games and the Phillies' victory in the 2008 
World Series. Harry's now famous call of the final out of the 2008 
series will forever ring in the minds of fans and players alike.
  The Phillies have taken appropriate steps to honor Harry's memory for 
the rest of the season. Most notably, Harry's signature ``Outta Here'' 
will be played over the PA system each time a Phillies' player hits a 
home run. Thousands of fans paid their respects to Harry during a 
moving ceremony at Citizens Bank Park last Saturday. The tributes 
across Major League Baseball are fitting for a man of Harry's stature.
  Harry was not only a great broadcaster, he was a great man. I 
personally will always remember Harry's faithful attendance and 
participation in the annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony in Media, 
PA. He loved the city of Philadelphia, and it loved him back.
  No matter the score, Harry's passion for the game and unique voice 
kept the fans captivated for all nine innings. He made the tough 
seasons easier and the good years even better. To say he will be missed 
is an understatement. His is the voice that Phillies fans will forever 
associate with baseball. My deepest condolences go out to Harry's 
family and the Philadelphia Phillies.
  I also wish to honor the life of Constantine Papadakis--known as 
``Taki''--the longtime president of Drexel University in Philadelphia, 
PA, who passed away recently after a long and brave battle with lung 
cancer.
  Taki was a creative and dynamic leader at Drexel University for 14 
years. He was described by one of his colleagues as identifying himself 
completely with the university--``there was no Taki that wasn't 
connected to Drexel.'' His devotion to Drexel meant that for him, it 
was not enough to simply preside over the institution. Instead, he 
threw himself into building, expanding, and extending Drexel's reach, 
both its academic prowess and its role in the community of 
Philadelphia. Enrollment grew by more than 130 percent. Freshman 
applications increased by nearly 700 percent. Research funding went 
from $15 million to more than $100 million in each of the last three 
years. The size of the faculty doubled and the university is now the 
seventh largest private employer in the city of Philadelphia. During 
Taki's tenure, Drexel added both a law school and a medical school. 
Most recently, he spearheaded the effort to acquire a campus in 
Sacramento, CA.
  Through the sheer force of his personality and his vision, Taki also 
brought renewed hope and optimism to Philadelphia's leaders and 
citizens. He established a leading role for Drexel in regional economic 
development, reaching out to business, academic, and community leaders 
to show what could be done by investing in growth. He knew that a 
university is not an isolated institution but a member of a larger 
community with the potential to transform a city and a region. He 
constantly pushed forward, never content, as one colleague said, to 
rest on the laurels of Drexel's gains, ``however meteoric.'' Government 
officials, business and community leaders, and ordinary citizens should 
be inspired by Taki's relentless drive toward improving our communities 
by strengthening our civic institutions and engaging in public life.
  Taki's last year was emblematic of how he lived the rest of his life. 
His energy and charisma never waned, as he conducted business from his 
hospital bed, his office, and in board meetings. He had so much to work 
to finish, which is remarkable for an individual who had already 
achieved so much. He has been described as ``larger than life and taken 
from us too young,'' which is undoubtedly true. I extend my deepest 
condolences to his wife of 39 years, Eliana, and his daughter Maria and 
hope they will take some comfort in the fact that Taki not only built a 
well-respected academic institution but also made a city believe in 
what could be accomplished through hard work, devotion, and 
passion.

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